Coop Door

[chickenthyme]

Well I've limped along for quite a while with a broken automatic door. Hardly had it a month and had to fix it twice which meant taking the grouping of 3 nest boxes down off the wall to get to it. Second time it broke I was really through with it but one of the other things I noticed is that it didn't seal very well so could really blow in the cold air around it making it colder in the coop during colder weather.

Guess I have to go into run any way so having an automatic door doesn't seem necessary. The door that's there is guillotine style (which after using one, I don't recommend that style) and I prop a wooden piece of trim to hold it up although a couple of times, they've knocked it out SO any thoughts?? Thanks again!

 

[deidreg]

How about a strip of tarp or heavy fabric with Velcro? You could make a strap to hold up the door during the day. There's great stick-on Velcro.

 

[aart]

The door that's there is guillotine style (which after using one, I don't recommend that style) and I prop a wooden piece of trim to hold it up although a couple of times, they've knocked it out SO any thoughts??

Mine is held up and operated with a rope thru pulleys.

I noticed is that it didn't seal very well so could really blow in the cold air around it making it colder in the coop during colder weather.

A bit of air blowing around door is probably fine.

Pics of the coop, inside and out, and run would help here.

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[Ridgerunner]

I agree, pictures so we can see what you are working with could be a big help. Some of my doors are hinged, some are guillotine. Both styles can work or have problems, but how you have them set up makes a difference.

 

[tsperry88]

My door is auto, but I like the design for manual as well. Just cut a notch in 2x4 and use a 1/2" thick cutting board. Is a hook/eye to hold it open.

 

[chickenthyme]

Left picture is outside view and right picture is inside.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I can't tell detail on that inside shot. I think the guillotine door may go up inside the wall somehow? Since you are going in the run anyway how would it work to drill a hole in the trim at the top and stick a pin through to secure the door open? Then with the door closed drill again so you can stick the pin back in to secure it closed?

The way I did it was to put hinges at the top so I could raise the door and use a clasp to lock it open so there is no way it could fall. At night there was a clasp at the bottom to lock it closed. From looking at your outside photo this should be doable. Use bigger hinges than I did, those little ones are a pain to work with.

I've had that "going in anyway" experience. You plan things, often overthinking them, and find out that things never go exactly as planned. It's just easier to do things another way. My example is that I fixed my nests so I could collect eggs from outside the coop. But since I'm going in anyway it's a lot simpler to just collect them from inside the coop.

 

[aart]

I can't tell detail on that inside shot. I think the guillotine door may go up inside the wall somehow? Since you are going in the run anyway how would it work to drill a hole in the trim at the top and stick a pin through to secure the door open? Then with the door closed drill again so you can stick the pin back in to secure it closed?

Ditto Dat.

 

[chickenthyme]

Oh sorry about inside shot. Yes, the automatic door goes inside the wall behind the nesting boxes which is why it was a pain and a half to get into it to fix it because those nesting boxes is all one piece and would take 2 people to take it off to get to the dumb electrical part of it to fix it which broke too many times close together. What a waste!!
I've thought about putting a handle on the door to raise it up and attach it so it shouldn't fall down. Guess basically the only reason I hadn't is because the door is so flimsy, was thinking I needed to put a sturdier door in some how.......

 

[KarynVA]

We have the same type of manual coop door and we screwed in an eye hook (not sure what it's called) on the top edge and strung some thin rope from that, along the coop ceiling, and out a small hole in the back wall of the coop. So I can stand outside the coop and pull the cord and the door opens; let the cord hang and the door closes. I can also tie it around a fixed spot on the outside of the coop to keep the door open all day long.