How has your coops and run door/hinge choice worked out for you?

[FatChicksAreAOK]

Hello all-

I have noticed that a lot of the coop designs on here use doors by hinging a cutout of plwood. How do you determine how large a cutout a particular hinge or hinge set can handle without sagging? How do you seal the plungecut/jigsaw/sawzall crack to prevent drafts and mice entry? Would a cabinet style door with an oversized face be an improvement?

For a human sized door in the run i have noticed a lot of doors are made from mainly hardware cloth and a light 1x frame. Would a prehung screen door or residential interior door be too heavy for the run framing to support as it appears as if a lot of the runs have stud spacing lot larger than 18" or 24"?

I ask now because, my tendency is to way over build something that will probably end up too heavy for the hinges or what the hinges are mounted to or excessively expensive than what is needed..

Thanks!

 

[akelley]

For what it's worth: we don't have a pop door at all, and used pre-fab screen doors reinforced with hardware cloth for both the coop and run doors. I just prop the coop door open in the morning, and latch it closed at night. I don't have a good picture of the doors, but here's the whole setup:

 

[AtholCoop]

Typically I use the corner trim for a "fence" when making the side cuts, and draw lines for the top and bottom cuts. Plunge cut everything with a jig saw starting with the bottom, then sides, and lastly the top cut. Some trim attached to the edges of the door cover the gap for weather, but I've never found a way to completely eliminate mice from any out building. Where's there's free food mice find a way.

You should get a decent idea from either:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/small-coop-tutorial

Or

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/funky-chicken-coop

Now for hinges and the weight they'll support? Buy bigger than you think you'll need.

 

[FatChicksAreAOK]

Thanks for the suggestion on the prefab screen doors!

 

[FatChicksAreAOK]

Athol,

You sir or madam are awesome! Thanks for sharing those links.

 

[AtholCoop]

Athol,

You sir or madam are awesome! Thanks for sharing those links.

No problem. That's what's great about BYC. Lots of people willing to chip in and share their .02

 

[Blooie]

We just cut the people door opening out, then put trim around the piece we cut out That's our door. We have three hinges on one side and we have two locking thingies on it, one on the top and one on the bottom for extra security against racoons, the wily little boogers! For the pop door we found a locking doggie door at Habitat for Humanity Restore for $8.00 and it works perfectly....we just cut out the hole and fit the door. Here are some pics.


The door opening cut out.


The door trimmed and standing open.


The girls getting acquainted with the pop door. (The run is a temporary one using our dog's x-pen - they are in it when we're there only but their new permanent run is going in tomorrow.

And the (almost) finished coop. They are, in reality, rarely ever done! This one needs the trim on the window and the pop door, then the trim will be painted white.