How to make a sliding pop chicken door and tips for roost?

[blessedmamato3]

We're finally finishing up the coop. I'd like to do a sliding pop door. We have plywood inside and 1x6 as siding (if that matters). How do we make a sliding door? Also, tips on a pulley system would be great.

Also, should I use a 2x4 4" side up for a roost or turn it up so they have a the 2" side to roost on?

 

[gale65]

I'll be watching this too. I've heard of people using plastic cutting boards, plexiglass, old street signs, and sheet metal for the door itself. Wood also, but we're avoiding that due to swelling and warping in wet weather. I did read one tip on here about someone putting a large weight (6 lbs I think) on top of the door so that a predator can't open it but a person can. We plan to have ours so it opens from outside the pen. DH doesn't mind going in the pen to open it up every morning (but he just wears his farm boots that he wears all day) but I get tired of changing into boots every night and going out there in the dark or nearly dark. We don't plan to use an automatic opener though.

The general consensus here is that the 4" side should be up, especially in colder areas, so they can cover their feet w/ their feathers in the winter. Right now ours is 2" side up but in the new coop it'll be 4" side up.

 

[kira782]

Here is a pic of our sliding door and an explanation of how we did it which hopefully makes sense! ---> https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=542609&p=3

If you look through the whole post there is a pic that shows some of our pulleys. It was really easy to do, buy them, hang them and thread your rope through!

 

[gale65]

I like yours a lot but I want to make sure our pulley system is inside the coop. I thought if it was outside something might be able to open it or chew through the rope? Or maybe not.

 

[Mama Hen Chris]

I am not good with all the technical terms but here goes...

Dh bent conduit and ran it through the studs. I suggested we use drawer slides to ease any swelling from the humidity and rain (we have here occasionally). For the door itself, DH used a piece of 1" thick oak board he had laying around. He also cut a "channel" for the door to sit in when down. Attached a cable to it and it opens from the outside. We do not have many predators (four footed) in our fenced community.

View from the inside

DH looped the pull and it attaches to the eye hook below it.

Looking from the run.

Inside with the door open.

 

[gale65]

Quote:
That's the one I want. I'm showing this to dh tonight. Is it hard to bend the conduit or do you need a special tool? Is it hard to run the cable through the conduit?