For a walk in coop, how would you put the door swing?

[Nyla]

I like mine to swing out.
Reasons:
-Stops my birds from blocking me from entering
-Stops predators from pushing in my door
-Door doesn't get stuck from bedding inside coop or run
-Allows great access to coop or run without blocking anything on the inside

 

[Hokum Coco]

Doors that swing out of the coop:

For me this is a NO BRAINER swing the door OUTSIDE of the coop.
REASON:
Frozen chicken poop inside the coop will impede you opening the door when you live in Canada.

 

[aart]

I had been thinking 36” wide for the door, but perhaps that is overkill?

Not overkill, wheelbarrow is not the only consideration. Glad my coop door is 3' for carrying a crate in and out.

 

[Molpet]

I’m a big believer in making doors wider than you think. Having said that how wide would you make your for your wheelbarrow? I measured our wheelbarrow and it is 22.5” wide. I had been thinking 36” wide for the door, but perhaps that is overkill?

I have been making them 30" wide.. unless I use a door I picked up for free.

 

[we3ernes]

Not overkill, wheelbarrow is not the only consideration. Glad my coop door is 3' for carrying a crate in and out.

Thanks @aart. I just finished designing our “forever home” and the builder was shaking his head over my 36” doors. Obviously he has never scraped his knuckles carrying laundry baskets!

 

[we3ernes]

For me this is a NO BRAINER swing the door OUTSIDE of the coop.
REASON:
Frozen chicken poop inside the coop will impede you opening the door when you live in Canada.

@Hokum Coco I doubt that will be an issue in central Texas!

 

[we3ernes]

Think you're really over thinking a doors. Sure you'll have bedding material but the base of the jam should compensate for that height anyway in design whether its the coop or run. I've built several coops and I don't believe either one is 'more secure' than the other, its how you build and design it.

Coop door swings out for ease of cleaning, I'll never have a door that swings into a coop, just requires to much space internally. When I do need to open it I ensure they're all out of it and keeping busy in the run. A well constructed door is the really the important issue here. You should have some sort of animal proof locking mechanism on it to begin with, regardless of its swing direction. Even more than one Just makes sense.

@Chullicken I do tend to overthink things, but usually I end up with a product I love and works well.

I will be building the coop myself including all the doors , so the jambs won’t be typical. The set up we are considering is a small storage area that leads into a larger coop. I was planning on deep litter so having a removable 10”-12” threshold between the coop and storage area to keep the litter from spilling into the storage area.

As far as security goes I just finished designing our “forever home” and all our exterior doors will swing out because it is more secure. A standard inward swinging home door can be kicked in fairly easily whereas an outswing door closes against a jamb and can’t be kicked in.

 

[Kusanar]

Bears and cougars.

If there's a scary fanged critter coming after me, and it's blocking my path to the house, I'm going to dive inside the chicken coop. The door opens outward and is blocked from swinging inward by a wood jam I added. I also have a latch inside the coop to keep it closed while I'm working in there.

Bears can knock down the entire structure, but if that's my only option, that's where I'm going. And I had the displeasure of crawling inside the chicken coop through the little chicken door this summer, so I know I fit through there (for now).

Worst case scenario, I use the chickens as decoys while I hurtle myself in through the people door, lock it, and then fake out the bear by squeezing my rump roast through the Smurf door and on out into the chicken run.

(This comment was fueled by Pepsi and chocolate chips. I never ever drink soft drinks; tonight is an exception. I always snack on chocolate chips!)

I actually laughed out loud at work at your description!

 

[Chullicken]

@Chullicken I do tend to overthink things, but usually I end up with a product I love and works well.

I will be building the coop myself including all the doors , so the jambs won’t be typical. The set up we are considering is a small storage area that leads into a larger coop. I was planning on deep litter so having a removable 10”-12” threshold between the coop and storage area to keep the litter from spilling into the storage area.

As far as security goes I just finished designing our “forever home” and all our exterior doors will swing out because it is more secure. A standard inward swinging home door can be kicked in fairly easily whereas an out swing door closes against a jamb and can’t be kicked in.

(Digressing off topic) I can understand that. A quality dead bolt you'll need more than a kick to push it in. Interior swinging exterior doors have more security and longevity though. Plus, if something like snow or debris piles up you can't open it, once the door is open you'll have no way of blocking an intruder and you run a chance of knocking your welcomed visitors off of your front step. Some areas it's against code, not sure what kind of regulated part of the world you live in. As a retired police officer I assure you that large, metal ramming tube/sledge hammer wasn't just for show...it was to knock out dead bolts. And did it ever tweak the neck and shoulders when used!

Coop sounds like it'll be pretty neat, can't wait to see some pictures of it and the build process if you post them up.

 

[dpenning]

Thanks @aart. I just finished designing our “forever home” and the builder was shaking his head over my 36” doors. Obviously he has never scraped his knuckles carrying laundry baskets!

Yes! I originally told my architect I wanted ADA thinking that was a 36" door but it turns out a 30" door is ADA, he had to re-draw everything with a 36" door.