Cat door, auto door combo

[Ominojacu]

Hi, I put an automatic door and a cat door together. The automatic door opens in the morning and closes at night. The cat door is free swinging and was added to keep out the drafts. It is made with clear plastic. Has anyone trained their chickens to use a cat door? Do you think this will work?

 

[perkolator]

I've seen setups using cat doors, but not the type with a solid door like that; they were the loose vertical strips that can separate as the chicken goes through them. I dunno if a chicken would go through that style unless you trained them to do it

 

[Isadora]

I haven't used a solid piece of plastic like a cat door, but I had success with tacking up individual strips of plastic to make a curtain for my ducks and they went through it just fine.

 

[Ominojacu]

It sounds like I might have to switch to plastic strips. The door doesn’t take much force to open but I am not a chicken. I will try to convince them to use it for a couple of days and see how it goes

 

[Ominojacu]

It sounds like I might have to switch to plastic strips. The door doesn’t take much force to open but I am not a chicken. I will try to convince them to use it for a couple of days and see how it goes

Well they didn’t take to the cat door. Seems pushing against something is unnatural to a chicken! But I haven’t given up! My plan is to temporarily remove the door and add a couple of plastic strips, as they get used to that I will add more strips until they are pushing through the equivalent of the plastic door, then I will replace the strips with the plastic door!

 

[Isadora]

Well they didn’t take to the cat door. Seems pushing against something is unnatural to a chicken! But I haven’t given up! My plan is to temporarily remove the door and add a couple of plastic strips, as they get used to that I will add more strips until they are pushing through the equivalent of the plastic door, then I will replace the strips with the plastic door!

Good plan! Keep us updated

 

[perkolator]

Why can't you just leave the door open?

 

[Ominojacu]

Why can't you just leave the door open?

Trying to create a draft free environment for the winter. I have seen people advocating for open Coops but the ones I have see are much larger than mine. I feel like my tiny four nest coop would be better off it didn’t have an open door in the winter.

 

[Mouthpear]

Trying to create a draft free environment for the winter. I have seen people advocating for open Coops but the ones I have see are much larger than mine. I feel like my tiny four nest coop would be better off it didn’t have an open door in the winter.

I don't think this is necessary. Thousands of coops don't have this, in fact most don't and the chickens do fine. Drafts directly on them while roosting at night are what you don't want.

The very first coop I built when I was 12, had an open bottom (hardware cloth) and they had zero problems.

 

[McChooky]

My door stays open even below zero.Their roost is above the door so they don't get a direct draft(blows their feathers)