Bottom hatch or normal chicken door?

[nuthatched]

Hi there,
I'm considering putting in a bottom hatch (like a cellar door) instead of the normal chicken door when I rebuild my coop, I'd like to hear input either way.
I like the idea of a bottom hatch with a ramp leading to it since, from what I've read, it will help limit drafts and you can just wheel a wheel barrow under it for easy cleaning. Plus the elk can't stick their fool heads in and eat my feed! (But I'm electrifying my fence so hopefully that will no longer be a concern either way.)
Do you have a bottom hatch? Can you tell me about? Thanks!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Some things to consider:
- It eats up floor space, so you will need to plan for extra floor space to make up for the space you're losing to the opening itself (and depending on the location of it, it can impact where you put roosts and nests as well)
- Bedding can fall out, so you need to take that into account. Might need some sort of elevated bumper around the opening to prevent fall out.

If easier cleaning is a priority, then make the coop big enough to easily stand and maneuver in (longer/wider than the length of your tools, so no bumping into walls) and simply get in and push litter out. I can even fit my yard cart under the human door even though the coop isn't really elevated, but as I reuse the litter in the run there's really no need for me to do it that way.

 

[3KillerBs]

You mean a bottom pop door or a bottom human-access door?

 

[nuthatched]

You mean a bottom pop door or a bottom human-access door?

A pop door, a chicken door. I'm not climbing up into my chicken coop like a tree house!

 

[3KillerBs]

A pop door, a chicken door. I'm not climbing up into my chicken coop like a tree house!

I've never tried one. I think it would take up a lot of space and that the bedding would spill out.

A bottom-opening cleanout hatch to drop bedding into the garden cart might be cool.

 

[K0k0shka]

Would that be the only chicken access into the coop? Aside from the issues already mentioned, I wouldn't do it for another reason - it would be difficult/annoying for me to access, and there are times when I need to be able to push a chicken through the pop door - like when training young ones how to go in. With a bottom door I'd need to crawl under the coop to do that.

 

[suburbanfarmermi]

Interesting idea.
- You would loose floor space but given chickens are mainly in the coop to roost not sure that is a huge loss.
- I assume litter loss could be minimized with a good by using a barrier around the opening.
- Might improve natural ventilation cool air in the bottom and heat rising to elevated vents.
- wondering what a door would look like if you wanted to close it off for cleaning or other purposes. Our pop door is on the side of the coop and is always open to the run. Except on the rare occasion like for cleaning.
- even in a heavy sideways rain it should stay dry.
- depending on height and location would need to consider the distance chicken could fall/jump from roost. Currently when my chickens jump down from roost they are cushioned by 4-6in of deep litter.
- probaly would not want ramp/opening under roost as it is going to get covered in manure.
- of course you would still need a people access door in the hen house for cleaning etc.

I like the concept but I think my raised hen house (4ftx4ft) is too small for all the considerations above.

 

[The Moonshiner]

A pop door, a chicken door. I'm not climbing up into my chicken coop like a tree house!

No rope ladder?

 

[aart]

Short answer, NO on the bottom hatch.

 

[GC-Raptor]

The first coop I built had a trap door.

It was 18 square feet inside, minus 4 square feet for the ramp. Almost 18 square feet of space in basement.

5 Chickens spent most of time in basement or pen if weather was good.
Chickens slept, layed eggs and ate upstairs.
I made the space above for 2 nests.

Wasn't enough for 5 Golden Comets.
I used the rest for storage of feed, Scratch Grains and supplies.

When my original hens were gone I stripped it to the framework

and built a conventional coop with nests hanging outside.

Now I had the full 18 square feet inside.
In my climate keeping feed outside can cause feed to mold spring and fall or spoil in summer heat, so I keep feed inside my house in a spare room and only keep about 4 lbs in large coffee cans in blocked nest.

Coop now has 3 nests.
Hope this helps you decide.
GC