sliding egg access doors?

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Ajensen2713

Ajensen2713

Chirping
Feb 25, 2016
14
7
64
Orlando, Florida
So I am still in the design phase of my coop planning and while searching for nest box ideas I came across this really interesting sliding egg access door mechanism...


I like this idea but I was wondering if anyone has tried anything similar or can help me with pros/cons.
My first concern was making it predator proof- we have racoons and opossums that I think would be smart enough to lift this sliding mechanism so I was thinking of adding a latch or other locking mechanism. My other concern was weathertightness but the location of this side of the coop faces the house and will be protected from rain by a partial covering of our roof and the coop roof so there shouldn't be a lot of rain water running down this side of the coop and leaking into the nestbox.
What are your thoughts?
 
Ajensen2713 said:
so I was thinking of adding a latch or other locking mechanism.
Click to expand...
If you made the lifting handles protrude further, you could put one piece of timber across the top (with supports on either side). I agree that any smarty-pants animal could work those doors.

My main question is cleaning. Having the little individual hatch doors means you can't clean from the outside. I have one big door over the back, and it's great to be able to sweep the bedding out (my girls are bad, they sleep in the nest boxes so I have to get poo out.) Also, if bits of pine shaving coming out of the hole, the sliding door might get "jammed up", you'd have to sweep away any loose bedding to keep it functioning properly. My single lift-up door also means I can access all nest boxes at once, with that you have to access each individually (and there's no way of knowing whether there's an egg in there - I suppose if you have a large flock you'd be rewarded each time, with my few girls I'd be opening and shutting those all day).

Personally, I wouldn't go for that design. I'm too lazy. :D
 
potato chip said:
If you made the lifting handles protrude further, you could put one piece of timber across the top (with supports on either side). I agree that any smarty-pants animal could work those doors.

My main question is cleaning. Having the little individual hatch doors means you can't clean from the outside. I have one big door over the back, and it's great to be able to sweep the bedding out (my girls are bad, they sleep in the nest boxes so I have to get poo out.) Also, if bits of pine shaving coming out of the hole, the sliding door might get "jammed up", you'd have to sweep away any loose bedding to keep it functioning properly. My single lift-up door also means I can access all nest boxes at once, with that you have to access each individually (and there's no way of knowing whether there's an egg in there - I suppose if you have a large flock you'd be rewarded each time, with my few girls I'd be opening and shutting those all day).

Personally, I wouldn't go for that design. I'm too lazy. :D
Click to expand...
Thanks for your honest opinion, I appreciate the cleaning tip, I didn't think of that part and I have learned from reading other posts that the less you have to go in the coop the better? I am building a walk in coop but I have read how a lot of people do that but then make feeding, watering and egg collection possible from outside the coop. I'm trying to plan ahead for the most convenient coop and run I can think of :)
 
Ajensen2713 said:
that the less you have to go in the coop the better?
Click to expand...
Every time you open the door to go in there, you'll be mobbed or they'll try getting out.

Quote:
Good idea to think about it in advance. Consider the things you do frequently and how much you don't want to have to negotiate chickens milling about your feet. External access for removing bedding would be on my list, if I were designing a coop. I can take out the bedding from the nest boxes, but have to go inside to clean out the rest. Having an openable flap on the other side would have been good. (now I've got the other run it's ok, I can put the chickens in there and do it without "assistance", but I still have to carry the "stuff" out through the attached run. Feeding I don't mind going in because they don't mob ME, they chase the food, and they aren't going to go for the door, they'll go for the food. I've only got a few hens though, if you have a lot, you might prefer to do the feeders from outside.

I'd make it as "openable" from the outside as it can be for ease of cleaning. No lips or nooks or crannies to trap bedding or poo. Flat surfaces. If there needs to be a restraint for bedding, make it removable. That'd be my main "want".
 

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