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how to keep chicken door latched and tight?

Discussion in 'Coop & Run - Design, Construction, & Maintenance' started by johndeerelover, Dec 17, 2013.

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  1. Dec 17, 2013 #1
    johndeerelover

    johndeerelover Out Of The Brooder

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    Oct 7, 2013
    Carroll County Maryland
    Do you have any type of latches or ideas to keep a chicken door closed tight but easy to latch and un-latch? Ideally I would like something that keeps the draft away, and easy to latch. Our chicken door is always getting wood chips in the door frame, making it hard to shut as it gets tighter with the junk in there. It's in a harder to reach spot to clean it out. (I have a door shoot/walkway thing with a rope to open the door. I don't mind too much, but when I go away I want it to be easy for our neighbor who is older. Is there any type of set up that would draw it in tight by leverage?
     
  3. Dec 17, 2013 #2
    gander007

    gander007 Chicken Obsessed

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    South Western Death Valley, Ca.
    If you force the door shoot something will brake the important
    thing here is to keep the door jam space clear and clean
    think if your front door of your house had trash building up
    and you slammed it **** to get it to close it would eventually
    fail and you would need to rebuild something .....
    maybe your door jam needs to be redesigned with a slop at
    the bottom so the wood chips might fall away or put a small
    broom out there hanging on the wall to sweep away any
    obstruction causing stoppage .........

    gander007 [​IMG]
     
  5. Dec 17, 2013 #3
    aart

    aart Chicken Juggler! Premium Member

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    My Coop
    Is it a sliding or hinged door?
    A pic of the situation would help folks give solutions.
    Putting a board up in front of the door to keep bedding away would probably help.
     
  7. Dec 17, 2013 #4
    Hokum Coco

    Hokum Coco Overrun With Chickens

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    Dec 6, 2012
    New Brunswick,Canada
    It sounds like a latch is not the root of your problem.
    I suspect the bottom of your chicken door or pop door is too close to your bedding.
    I would reposition your door as to have a 10 to 12" distance from the bottom of your coop floor.
    Maybe even a ramp or landing to clean the chickens feet from bedding as they walk toward the pop door.
    Do you think the type of bedding might be the problem?
     
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2013

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