Leaving on Vacation - Leave Coop door open??

[chinzilla]

We are leaving for vacation for 10 days. We have 5 ladies that we adore that we want to be sure will be totally safe. A girlfriend will be dropping by daily to check on the babies and ensure they have plenty of water and food (we live in Florida so the heat at the moment gets into the 90's during the day).

Our dilemma is whether or not to leave the coop door open while we're gone. The heat WILL be excruciating and although we have a girlfriend coming by every day I worry about the ladies fighting with each other due to being kept in the coop. We have a Rhode Island who gets a little sassy if she's not let out first thing in the morning (she started crowing this morning! hahaha!) and one of our silkies has a little bit of a stunted growth due to having wry neck (she's cured atm but she is the runt now - and at the bottom of the pecking order). I fear for her safety if she's locked up with the others!

There IS a 10 x 10 x 6 run that is around the coop with a secure top... aaaaaaaaah! suggestions?

 

[woodsman23]

as long as the run is secure there should be no issues leaving the door open. Just make sure nothing can get in through the run and go relax....

 

[joan1708]

looks like you have no choice to me. Better make sure the run is secure!

 

[bj taylor]

i think your chances are better with the door open. your run sounds quite secure, so probably ok. if they're locked up for 10 days (in the heat) you have a pretty good chance one or more will no longer be alive.
vacations are a delimma. i have decided i'm getting an automatic door before we go on our trip in august. it's not perfect or absolute, but it's as close as i can get - so i'll take it.

 

[chinzilla]

I just saw someone posting about an automatic door - that is something we are going to invest in when we get back! I checked around our area to see if anyone sold the parts for that around here that we could rig up in the next two days but no dice.

I might leave the coop door open tonight while we're here just so I can see for myself that everything will be okay. The coop itself is also raise up from the ground for protection as well. Even when it rains here it is definitely hot - I don't want to risk overheating or angry chickens!

 

[srd5757]

I have the same issue. I've left our door open the past several nights as a trial run and we haven't heard a peep!
As for the heat, coud you set up a fan outside of the run in a shaded part of the run that would at least ensure a breezy shaded spot for them? That's what we are planning to do for our trip. I figure the energy use for the fan is worth it if it keeps them happy and healthy.

 

[chinzilla]

Remarkably, where their coop is is amazingly cool. It's already in the most covered area of the backyard and we the cover we just put up on the run is specifically designed to cool down the run. It's probably 10 degrees cooler (maybe more) at any given time underneath the run & coop

That's why they love that darn run so much! It's cool and there's plenty of dirt, bugs, grass, and foliage for them to peck at and roll around in.

Guess I will just have to leave the coop door open! Instead of leaving it wide open though I think I'll fasten it with a bungee cord so it will allow them to go in and out of the coop without exposing them TOO much.

 

[Tropical Chickies]

No!!!!! You don't have a run (unless you got a new coop design). Raccoons and whatever else running around there will kill them for sure. It's not worth the risk. You would be better off separating the Silkies from your other two and putting them in a dog crate while you're gone.

I'll keep your Silkies if you want me to. I have a coop they can go in

 

[chinzilla]

Haha honey you haven't been back by my house in a while! We built a run!

 

[chinzilla]

We've left the door open the last two nights as a trial run and so far so good!

-- edit

It's been PARTIALLY open, anyway. We have it propped open and tied in place so it's just wide enough for the ladies to get in and out