Does anyone else leave the pop hole open?

[frias]

I left the pop hole open all last summer but closed it during the winter as I thought it was too cold. However I gave the coop a good scrub with ***** fluid last week and left the pop hole open because I was frightened the fumes were too strong. I noticed in the morning the girls were up by 6am and as I don't want to get up at that time every morning myself, I've left the pop hole open since. I've just been out to check the girls and although it's bitter outside the girls themselves feel nice and warm. I have a secure run so not worried about foxes but just wondered if the pop hole should be shut for warmth?

[penny]

Hi, yes I leave the popholes open for my banties and my hybrid hens because they get up before me. The hens dont seem to feel the cold and the runs are secure and dry Ive done this for a year or two and my birds are really healthy, the banties hatched a chick in the really cold weather and it is doing fine, there was only one because I had missed an egg and just thought the silly thing had gone broody on an empty nest so I was suprised to see a chick, I bet its a cockerel.

[Suechooks]

I make sure mine are shut in because I know there are rats about on the allotment site. Even though I have traps, rat bait boxes and 2 ultrasonic repellers and I lift up all the feeders at night I would be concerned the rats might get into the hut if the pop-hole was open.

[Shellintons]

I have 2 coops and never leave one hole open as the run isn't entirely fox proof even though I feel the shed is secure. But the other is fox proof and I often used to leave it open. Though at the moment I have a young cock in that one and close it so the neighbours can have their first cuppa before they can actually here him. The coop in this one is huge too so there's plenty of room for them to play in till they get out.
I used to have some lovely black orpingtons which refused to use the coop and sat on top off it all year round. There was a russian vine growing over it but it was just twigs in winter. I left them to it and never lost a bird and they were quite old girls when they 'fell off the perch'.

[MaureenHall]

Since a fox attack last year and even though I'm fairly confident, I still can't bring myself to leave the doors open. If I could afford it, I'd install automatic pop hole openers, but until I win the lottery I'll keep getting up at day break and lock the doors at night

[Shellintons]

Don't blame you Mo, I wouldn't leave my big shed open on purpose, just the little one where a digger couldn't get through.

[di]

We always shut ours in...there's been the odd few times(twice!)where we've been at afternoon going well into evening party that Andi's convinced me they're safe,but I've then woken several times in the night worried about them!
We're quite fortunate that our lottie neighbour also has chooks and often need us to look after theirs so now if we know it's going to be tricky they'll do ours.
Although I feel a little guilty,often we don't get to ours until about 8:00am at the weekends....they really don't seem to mind too much

[kirsty b]

My pop hole is always open, but as I now have cocks I'm going to be making a door and shutting them in at night so they don't crow too early in the morning. Have already covered the window to keep inside of shed a little darker.

[jayjay giant]

I used to lock the house every night and open it every morning but for the last 12 months I have been leaving it open. The girls get themselves up and put themselves to bed quite happily. I go out every evening to check that they are ok.
The hen house is warm enough, I use a 3 inch layer of woodshavings on the floor ( changed once a week ) and the nest boxes are full of straw and the roof is insulated so they are warm enough.
In summer they don't go to bed until turned 10 and are up again around 4 !

James

[RichmondHens]

We shut ours up. I think in summer it's not necessary as it is warm enough, but unless you have a really sheltered spot, in the winter months I would not want the wind and rain driving into the house. Also our fences are not electrified now so it's also a security thing. The houses are all very well ventilated and I let them out quite early (today 6.15).

You can pretty much tell if the birds are warm enough or not though, as if cold they will all be well away from the pop hole, and if warm weather, they'll sit with their bums hanging out of it!

[Snadger]

My coops are at my allotment which is seven mile away so pop holes are left open. As secure as I can possibly make them but I won't count my chickens!

[Flummery]

Auto pop-hole openers are the bees' knees!

[mr darcy]

close mine at nightfall when I do my rounds, horses hayed for night etc, open in morning at first light when I do morning round, this summer when it will be light here before 5am,they'll just have to sleep in a bit like me, specially on sundays,but it's never later than eight as the horses start neighing by then as they want to change field (no grass in night paddock by house) i have to rig up some kind of automatic system, maybe sun sensitive for both horse gate and pop hole!!!

[Bephlam]

Usually I shut mine in the winter...but leave them in the summer. However, this year I dunno...these rats are a nightmare, and I'm scared they make their way in to the house!!

[mr darcy]

Usually I shut mine in the winter...but leave them in the summer. However, this year I dunno...these rats are a nightmare, and I'm scared they make their way in to the house!!

have you ever tried peppermint essential oil against rodents? apparently they really hate it