Question about building a Coop that is winter ready

[Surferjo]

Been doing a lot of reading on this forum. Amazing amount of information.

I had a question about the Hen House door. I plan on building a Coop with an attached enclosed run. I see a lot of people have the door to the hen house on a slide so they can open/close it from outside the coop.

My question is about what to do in the winter? Do i open it in the morning and close it in the evening or do they stay in the sheltered hen house 27/7?


I live in NY (Long Island)

Thanks

 

[DavidKerk]

You could probably leave it open all night unless you have predator problems. I leave my two small chicken doors open all winter and I live in MI.

 

[True Grit]

In the winter I cut a heavy plastic doggie door into strips and nail it over the opening and it seems to keep out the cold well enough I rarely have to close the sliding plywood door.

 

[Surferjo]

In the winter I cut a heavy plastic doggie door into strips and nail it over the opening and it seems to keep out the cold well enough I rarely have to close the sliding plywood door.

I was thinking about that. I wasn't sure if the chickens would go through it.

Thanks

 

[1muttsfan]

I only close the pop door on nights when it is extremely cold and/or windy - from cold northern Michigan (snowing right now :/ )

 

[Surferjo]

I only close the pop door on nights when it is extremely cold and/or windy - from cold northern Michigan (snowing right now

)

"Pop" Door I'm trying to figure out if POP is an acronym for something.

 

[4 the Birds]

"Pop" Door I'm trying to figure out if POP is an acronym for something.

POP Poultry Only Port?

Not sure where the term came from but it distinguishes it from a coop access door or people door. My POP door is always open to the run. It has a covered entry to keep drafts and rain out but allows fresh air in. It also allows the birds to have full time run access.

 

[True Grit]

I was thinking about that. I wasn't sure if the chickens would go through it.

Thanks

Yeah they're not crazy about it but I started with mosquitoe screen strips in the summer so they were used to going through something and then when I put up the plastic I pinned a couple of the strips up for a while and they did get used to it. They peck at it til they find an opening and then stick their head through. It's important the strips are cut right to the top.