How small can a chicken door be??

[Frozen Feathers]

Please solve my argument with my DH and me!! LOL I think between 8"x8" or 10"x 8" would be a plenty big enough door. He's not too bright

and thinks that it needs to be much bigger, like 1.5'x1.5. Please tell me I'm right!!! My biggest bird is an Australorp, if that helps. I'm trying to keep my nosy little goats out of the chicken coop.

 

[Critter Crazy]

I dont know how small it can be, but my door is 12x14.

 

[MTchick]

Mine is 12x12 and that seems to be just fine. I have two Wyandottes, which are big and heavy like Australorps, and they have a few inches of clearance on the sides, no problem. Part of the "hole" question is how many birds you have- if you have 100 birds in the henhouse than you'll have a very serious traffic jam with a 12x12 hole. I have 7 birds and sometimes they try to come out all 7 at once- that causes quite a commotion.

-MTchick

 

[khable]

Our door is 10"x12".

I got that size straight from the book "Storey's Guide to raising Chickens" that is what they reccomend for standard size birds.

Hope that helps.

 

[lurky]

Ours is 16x16.......no complaints yet