dog door in coop???

[sklingonz]

I just picked up a nice dog door at a thrift shop for cheap. It would make an excellent door for the coop, but I am not sure the chickens will be able to push through the flap. Has anyone ever tried this before? It would work great to keep out some of the elements.

 

[mahen8622]

i made my own doggie style door for my coop but you lift what would be your plastic part and its jst completely open im very interested to see what other comments are posted on here i looove my little door for my chickens its perfect!

 

[SussexInSeattle]

From what I know from my own chickens, they would likely be way too chicken to shove through a doggie door. BUT what you could do is to lock them in at night (Which is best since predators are much more likely to use that door than the chickens anyway) and simply prop the door open for them in the morning. If the door didn't come with the locking panel you should be able to make one out of sheet metal. It should have a second door that drops into place that would keep the pet locked in or out.

I lock my chickens in every night and let them out each morning for safety from the local Possums and raccoons.

I found that when I lined the inside of the barn door with a layer of plastic that you use to protect furniture from paint splatter that my chickens are scared to death of that stuff and it is thin as paper! Every day they wait behind the liner while I roll it up and clip it up out of their way, then they proceed outside to play. It's way thinner than doggie door plastic!

 

[Chickenfortress]

We have one that is closed by two swinging lexan doors. If both doors ae closed they won't try to go through unless they are excited. I prop one side open during the day and they have no troubles.

 

[Farmer Brown]

We have kept a hen in a dog crate with only a dish towel over the entrance ?

 

[patandchickens]

Chances are high you'll have to train them. After all, you usually have to train dogs to use 'em too

With chickens though you would want to remove the swinging flap and replace it with something much shorter and not necessarily the full width; then as they get used to that, successively replace it with larger fuller versions, you get the idea. It may take some time and patience but chickens can perfectly well learn to push thru a door of strips of rag or burlap or vinyl, probably a dog door as well.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[sklingonz]

Thanks for all the comments. My chickens right now have to go through a gunny sack that we have hanging over the door. Maybe since they are use to that, it won't be so hard to train them.

Have a wonderful day.

 

[chickenlove2009]

I do. I took out the flap completely.