Pop door sliding sideways or up?

[Chicken'n'bees]

My DH is just about to put in a pop door, but because there is a window above it, we thought we could slide it sideways instead of up and down.
In looking at some of the pictures and trying to read about pop doors, it looks like most go up. Is there a reason for that?
And does anyone have any pictures to show a good sliding system to build?

 

[NancyDz]

I know I've seen some that slide sideways... I dont think it really matters, I think some use the gravity of the one's going up just for ease...if they attach a rope to open from the outside. If you are going to use a track though, make sure its only on the sides and not
where the chickens may poop in it or you wont be able to keep it clean and sliding easily.


Nnacy

 

[patandchickens]

Each design has pros and cons, but I think it's about a wash overall. If a horizontal slider fits your space best, then that's prolly what you should build

Just try to avoid having the lower track built in such a way that poo and bedding can build up easily in it and jam the door so it won't close. If you can arrange to have the underside of the track open, or at least a deep pocket, that will help ensure reliable operation.

Have fun,

Pat

 

[mountaintopchicken]

I vote for up and down. When the chickens go in and out the pop hole, they have guck on their feet a lot of the time. This accumulates. It will make a pop hole harder to slide sideways.

 

[Chicken'n'bees]

Oh, I didn't think of the track getting poop etc. in it. That makes sense though. Thanks.

 

[newchicksnducks]

If not a slider, why not have it open to the side like a "person" door? It won't block your window, still uses the side space, but you don't have to worry about cleaning the slider track.

 

[consdrs]

Quote:
I have a chicken door to the great out door run. it opens like a person door. it didn't take long before I realized I needed to lock it "open". they would roost on the door and when they hopped off ended up shutting the door accidentally, blocking everyone out of the coop. If I get a vote (which I think I should BTW, lol) I vote up and down...

Connie

 

[mechagrue]

I'm thinking if the door is sticking out to the side, depending on the design, chickens might roost on it. Where there is roosting, there is pooping, and a poop-splattered sliding door will soon fail to slide.

At the same time if you're using a design where you'll be walking around the coop, if the door is sticking out, you will be constantly walking into it by accident.

I vote up and down, too!

 

[mikecnorthwest]

We made ours slide to the side. The main reason was to avoid the ventilation window on top of it and also to avoid having to mess with additional hardware. So far it works great. You can see it in this pic.

 

[patandchickens]

The main disadvantage of a hinged chicken door is that it can't be made quite as predatorproof as a sliding one (if the sliding door are designed to be completely concealed within track or inside the building, neither prying nor leaning is going to get an animal anywhere, unlike a typical hinged door). Stuff (bedding, poo, mud globs) can still block it from closing fully, too. They're not *much* worse than sliders but aside from marginally-simpler construction i do not think they have any *advantages* over sliders.

Side-sliding doors are usually constructed to slide along the coop wall, as in the pic posted above, so there is no question of being roosted on or anyone walking into an open door

The main thing with sliders, IMO (be they vertical or horizontal) is to have an open pocket under the lower part of track, and whatever the bottom of a vertical slider seats onto, so that anything deposited on the door sill has somewhere to *go* when the door attempts to close on it. That's not really very hard to arrange.

JME, but I don't think it makes an enormous difference what kind of popdoor you build as long as it is strong, lockable and reasonably intelligently engineered

Have fun,

Pat