chicken door

[irishfirefighter]

do i have to have a chicken door on my coop ? its all contained in a chicken run

 

[oldchickenlady]

If your run is absolutely, totally, completely predator proof (not using poultry wire are you?) then no, you probably don't need a door. If nothing can get under, through, or over your wire, then they would probably be safe. Maybe....
I have a door but I don't always close it at night because my run is totally enclosed with 1x2 inch welded wire with 2 coon proof latches on my gate. Wire is extended 18" out and staked to the ground with long tent stakes. Here is a pic of my set up:

Here is my pop door that I can open from outside the run:

So far it has worked great for me. I do still need to get an auto chicken door, but with a son starting college and 3 vehicles that all need work...that chicken door is just not happening right now.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Is your run secure from predators?

 

[irishfirefighter]

yep its pretty tight with to dogs in the yard to keep em safe

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

I wouldn't see any problems then.

 

[Lisa202]

Nice run. I have a question...I'm making my run and I will be putting the 1/2" hardware cloth under it also, so the entire run will be enclosed. I intend on putting straw on top of the wire (to help with mud, poo and so on) What to you think of this set up. I wanted to make it portable too so this helps with not having to take up stakes etc.
Any thoughts?

 

[Payette]

[email protected] :

Nice run. I have a question...I'm making my run and I will be putting the 1/2" hardware cloth under it also, so the entire run will be enclosed. I intend on putting straw on top of the wire (to help with mud, poo and so on) What to you think of this set up. I wanted to make it portable too so this helps with not having to take up stakes etc.
Any thoughts?

Well, I would like to suggest that maybe you dig a trench under your coop. We dug a trench all the way around our coop and filled it with chicken wire so predators cannot dig into the coop. So far, our coop is safe! javascript:insert_text('

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[elmo]

Another reason people build a chicken door is so that in the winter, leaving it open for the chickens to go in and out lets less cold air into the coop than leaving the people size door open. Obviously, you have to have some kind of door from the coop to the run...