Door or not?

[mdepriest]

I'm just getting back into chickens after a 10 year or so hiatus. Previously we did not have a well designed coop--no door but did not have a problem with predators. Wild ones anyway. The door is an issue for me as I am gone from my house a night or two per week for work frequently and wouldn't be home to let them out in the morning or shut them in after dark. I've looked a bit at the automatic door openers but am concerned about the reliability of them. It gets very cold here in the winter. -20 isn't unheard of and batteries seem to fail when it's that cold.

Is it possible to design something like a dog door with a flap to keep warmth in but does not necessarily rely on a human to continuously open and close? The chickens will have a fully enclosed run.

I would love to hear opinions on this.

Thanks!

 

[aoxa]

If you design a predator proof run, not a big deal if the door fails is it?

I can't imagine much of a draft from a little pop door...

 

[Alaskan]

The pop door that goes from my chicken house to my predator proof run is always open.

If you have fierce wind you can always make a wind block in front of the pop door.

 

[donrae]

My set up doesn't have a door, per se, just an opening in the wall of the coop into the run. Birds come and go as they choose. Since the opening is at ground level and the birds roost at least 3feet above it, it doesn't create any issues. I don't have really severe weather, but I can't imagine it makes that much of a difference. I'ts also not on the side of prevailing wind, so nothing's blowing into the coop.

 

[Chickens R Us]

If you have electricity in your coop you could get a electric one instead of battery operated. Like the D20 chicken coop motor.

 

[4 the Birds]

Make the run predator proof and leave your pop door open full time (even during the depths of Winter). This way they have access to fresh air and the run at all times. You can make a tunnel around your pop door to minimize drafts as shown below.