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How to keep chicken door from being blocked by shavings?

Discussion in 'Coop & Run - Design, Construction, & Maintenance' started by naturemom, Jan 26, 2009.

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  1. Jan 26, 2009 #1
    naturemom

    naturemom Chillin' With My Peeps

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    The enclosed portion of my chicken tractor has a drawbridge-style door that I close at night by pulling it up by a chain. The trouble is, it get shavings stuck around the bottom and then it won't close all the way. I have been just pulling it pretty hard to get it to close, but that backfired recently when it just broke right off. Since then we've just had to move it out of the way every morning and prop it up at night, which has been ok so far (the run is pretty secure, but annoying and far from ideal. I can't easily reach an and brush it off, and if snow gets in there and freezes to the shavings it's even more difficult. Is there some way we can prevent this from happenning again when we reattach the door?
     
  3. Jan 26, 2009 #2
    Chirpy

    Chirpy Balderdash

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    May 24, 2007
    Colorado
    I have a draw bridge type door also; it's actually the ramp that they walk down on (outside the coop) and it's on hinges so we shut it up and lock it at night. I have it about 15 inches off the floor of the coop so the shavings do not get that high (I use the DLM "deep litter method") and thus the never interfere with the closing the ramp. The chickens just jump up into the doorway from inside and walk up and down the ramp outside.
     
  5. Jan 26, 2009 #3
    patandchickens

    patandchickens Flock Mistress

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    Apr 20, 2007
    Ontario, Canada
    To avoid being jammed by poo or shavings, your best bet is a guillotine-style door that goes down from above, and goes PAST the sill.

    A flap-style door, hinged from above, works ok too as long as it shuts against the sill with nothing below it for poo to stack up on. I didn't explain that very well but if you look at my tractor page, the door is built that way. Never had a problem with it.

    Good luck, have fun,

    Pat
     

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