Deep litter with a floor door

[zookeeper15133]

I have a raised coop. I would like to use the deep litter method but I want the door to be in the floor as my run doesn't have a solid roof. This way they can go out in the rain/snow without getting wet/frozen. I also want to have an exterior door closer.

I was thinking about putting a box around the floor hole and a sliding panel underneath between the joists. Would I have to attach the ramp to the top of the box? Then I would have to make a cut out for the ramp in the panel. Has anyone tried this? Any other suggestions?

 

[aart]

I think it would be much easier, and more feasible, to put a roof on your run to protect an autodoor on the side of the coop.
Floor doors do not mesh well with either deep litter or autodoors.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I can't imagine how an auto door would work horizontally... probably would have to build your own.

Not sure how having a floor hatch solves the issue of rain/snow either, they'll only have what little space is under the coop, so you're not really solving the problem. A good ol' shovel fixes snow, at least for a little while.

Deep litter (not deep bedding) really benefits from a dirt floor, which you obviously wouldn't have, so that's something to think about.

 

[zookeeper15133]

Thank you. I used a side door. Now I'll use deep bedding.