Do you lock up your chickens at night if they are surrounded by an electric poultry fence?

[City Chicken]

So, i have a coop with an electric poultry fence around it. Its getting hot at night and they dont all seem to want to go in. Do you lock up your chicken at night if they are protected by an electric fence? Or do you let them roost on top or outside?
We do have predators, but we also have a dog on a run... Just wondering if i can let them roost in open air inside the fence or if they will get eaten.

 

[Michael OShay]

I would shut them up in the coop at night. Electric fences work well against terrestrial predators, but they won't protect your chickens from owls.

 

[GuineaFowling]

I agree, I would lock them up at night too. In the beginning they will always make a hassle out of going to bed in the coop but they learn soon enough if you put them away each night before it gets too dark. I did this and after a week the hens put themselves away and all I have to do is go shut the door.
Good Luck.

 

[City Chicken]

They've been sleeping there for awhile now, just wondering if its getting too hot.

 

[centrarchid]

Great-horned owls can be a problem. A Cornish X producer near Kansas City Area was loosing one bird per night to owl. Owl flew into confinement area and target birds at edge of flock. He still lost more to whatever Cornish X die from spontaneously.


They tried us late last summer. Dogs prevented losses but dogs had to actually get into pen to run owl off. My owls have to really given a scare to back off and may result in one being killed as dogs seem to be actively trying to catch owl.

 

[centrarchid]

They've been sleeping there for awhile now, just wondering if its getting too hot.

Heat stress is beginning to become an issue already. I make certain birds can spread out a bit and not pile up. Heat if it will be a problem is going to be in the late afternoon.

Make certain the have ample clean water.

 

[City Chicken]

Oh yes, ive got them on chicken nipples with a five gallon bucket.