Are egg gathering exterior door/hatches worth doing?

[gambler]

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[joebryant]

I have a drop-down door to my interior nests. They are well insulated, and I get no drafts. I seldom go into my coop or run.
See My BYC Page for photos.

 

[waitin on eggs]

Quote:
We have exterior nest boxes on ours, We live in nw PA and I really wish we would not have put them in due to weather related issues such as yours. Due to this we have blocked them off for the cold and now I use them for storage of my corn,food,oyster shell and grit. So at least they get some use by keeping the cans in there. also ours was in a windy rather unsheltered area so for the winter my husband has moved the coop closer to our house (for the winter to block the majority of wind. added bonus for me since I don't need to walk the whole back forty in the deep drifted snow to check on my girls and get eggs. ( he put skids on it when he built it, )so he justs hooks it to the tractor and moves it wherever- this has been a big benefit. We are already making plans for an addition in the spring when I get my new chicks, from what I read, I don't think you are ever done with your coop, especially being new to chickens. Good luck to you in whatever you decide.

 

[darkmatter]

Check out my BYC page to see the egg doors I built with the coop, it does get very cold here in the Midwest and I accommodated that by having the four inch cutouts covered by six inch doors attached with piano hinges and the hinges are covered with strips of inner-tube rubber.

 

[waitin on eggs]

Quote:
Ilooked at you byc page and I do so like your nest doors, rather than exterior boxes. Actually I like alot of your pics (my poor husband) he's gonna have lots to do this spring. Also i use sand for their dust baths i didn't know I could use wood ashes... we heat with wood also so we have an abundance! May have to try this

 

[Tdub4chiks]

Not that I'm getting eggs yet (dang), but I also have a flush egg door, but have been just using the people door to check things out. My concern is, if I use the people door in the winter, won't I being letting the heat out? I'm thinking too, that the locks on the egg door will get frozen shut and make it hard to open, but wouldn't let all the heat out of the coop. Not sure what I'm going to use, but at least I have the option.