Crazy? Maybe! Coop door

Jenthehen127

Songster
Mar 16, 2020
261
544
176
Western Pa
So here is my question...the pop door on our hen house is a sliding (vertical) auto door. It is attached outside the hen house, but inside the coop as a whole. It does not lock. It's aluminum, but it would just need pushed up for something to access inside. I don't want to replace it with a locking one (right now). Has anyone had an attack in this manner? I'm just trying to think of all situations. Thankfully we have been very lucky and not had trouble yet. Coop is pretty secure, and a lot of motion lights around the coop/as a whole. Without defeating the purpose of the auto door, I can't think of a way to secure this door. I guess I'm just thinking out loud. Any thoughts appreciated! No rest for chicken safety patrol!
 
So here is my question...the pop door on our hen house is a sliding (vertical) auto door. It is attached outside the hen house, but inside the coop as a whole. It does not lock. It's aluminum, but it would just need pushed up for something to access inside. I don't want to replace it with a locking one (right now). Has anyone had an attack in this manner? I'm just trying to think of all situations. Thankfully we have been very lucky and not had trouble yet. Coop is pretty secure, and a lot of motion lights around the coop/as a whole. Without defeating the purpose of the auto door, I can't think of a way to secure this door. I guess I'm just thinking out loud. Any thoughts appreciated! No rest for chicken safety patrol!
My door slides up and I have no problems but I have a super secure run too .
 
Best thing you can do with this style of door is to have something similar to the side rails at the bottom, so when it shuts, the edge of the door is behind a piece of wood so a predator can't get a claw under the edge to lift.

Here's a photo of this kind of arrangement:

View attachment 2533348

We made an error here in locating the door too low so that bedding spills out. I have to clear the groove periodically to ensure that the door seats securely in it's base.

When properly seated nothing can get to an edge in order to pry the door.
 
My doors lift upward and are wooden.

Good advice above to have it land so the bottom edge cannot be accessed and to have a secure run.

To me a secure run is even more important if using an automatic door. I would hate to have a run breached and predator waiting for the girls door to open.
Right? Just trying to cover all my bases. Can never be too proactive in predator defense!
 
Definitely put a board across the bottom so the door drops behind it. I'm confused by the description "outside the hen house, but inside the coop". What do you call a hen house, and what do you call a coop? Do you mean "run" when you say "coop"? Can predators get to the mechanism of the door? I would strongly recommend installing the mechanism on the inside of the secure structure where they sleep, whatever you call that. A lot of people put it on the outside wall and I just don't understand why. It would be safe from the elements if inside, and it would be safe from animals messing with it, too - like pulling on the string.
 
interesting, my instinct would also be to have a sliding door on the outside of the coop but with what you have said here on the inside makes far more sense with an automatic door opener. Since I am debating getting one that is good to know.
 
interesting, my instinct would also be to have a sliding door on the outside of the coop but with what you have said here on the inside makes far more sense with an automatic door opener. Since I am debating getting one that is good to know.
Yeah, the inside just makes more sense to me. The strings on these doors are flimsy and while they do get the job done (of lifting and lowering the door), I wouldn't trust them to withstand the teeth and nails of hungry predators. The door is way too easy to lift by the string, and I can totally see a raccoon pulling on the string to lift the door. They are smart, and nimble in the hands.
 

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