Need Help W/ Coop Run Door.

[CRYROLFE]

Hi Guys,

We have come to the stage where we are building our door for the chicken run. Do most of you have them open in or out or does it even matter?
I'd also LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to see some photos of the door construction if anyone has any please.

Thanks so much! Our coop is The Garden Coop and our progress can be seen below in my blog.

 

[ChixWrangler]

Most pop doors I have seen on the site either open out like a vent/window or slide straight up and down on a track on the inside of the coop. Mine is a slide style which works very well. Sorry I can't add pictures yet.

 

[ChixWrangler]

Here is a really good collection of pop door info, with pictures. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=91591

 

[BlueBetween]

mine is a slider, up and down, on the outside of my coop. It's covered, or I would have done it on the inside instead. But this is what we did:

Basically, we attached a thin piece of wood - like 1 inches wide around for the frame, then put a 2 inch piece on top of that so that there was a channel in the center for the door to go up and down. We made ours go all the way up so it wouldn't accidentally get out of track (the kiddo likes to open and shut it). And then we tied a string on to it, ran the string to and outside wall and put a tie there for it.

I wanted a slider in case I decide to get an auto door down the road... though I've seen them work for either slide or lift.

 

[Judy]

Mine is hinged on the bottom and opens out so it also serves as a ramp to the outdoors -- although adults could hop that high, I think it helps the youngest chicks figure out about going in and ou -- and gives them a place to hide under.

 

[Horizon Structures]

Blue Between, I love your coop!

On doors, if you do one that swings, plan to be able to latch it open so it doesn't blow shut. A gravity latch like this should work.

 

[colonel sander]

Are you talking about the pop door or the actual door into the run itself? Most pop doors are sliders either up or sideways. As for the actual human door into the run I would swing it out and also think about making it a barn door style where the top and bottom are seperate. I am going to do mine that way so I can get into the run without dealing with bolting chickens.

 

[cmom]

My gates to my runs open inward. I did this because when the birds see me coming they run for the gate and when I open it in they back off a little so they are not under my feet. On my brooder coop the gate swings out because the coop pop door is next to the gate so I can't swing the door in. All of my other coops the pop doors slide but on the brooder coop it swings up and is hinged on the top. Good luck and have fun!!!

 

[Ogress]

My run doors are on the inside of my walk-in and slide up and dwn on tracks. I forgot to discuss how I wanted the doors to be with the contractor I had build the coop. Initially I liked the doors, but now I don't for a couple of reasons.

1) Bedding (wood shavings) tend to get caught in the track and make the door difficult to slide and nearly impossible to close all the way.

2) Sometimes I want to close the run door before it is evening, and when I enter the coop to close the door, some of the hens run outside.

I now want the run doors to be on the exterior walls so I can chase the chickens into the coop and close it, not scare them outside when I want to close up.

I also want them hinged so I don't get junk caught in the track.

 

[romadfox]

I don't think it matters too much, but I have my coop door and people door on the run open out. I figure there is more room outside both the coop and the run than there is in them. I made my own doors for my log coop and I am thinking of an auto door for extra peace of mond from Foy's Pigeon Supplies as it is way cheaper than any I've seen so far.