need some ideas

[Grateful Dad]

hi, I have 5 ladies, rip Coconut.
They are Marshmallow,Ostrich,Toasted Zebra,Snowball and Mustard. my 4 year old girl named them!
I built a coop that is 4wx8L and 6' h sloping to 4'high.the outdoor penn is 8x6.
So the problem i have is myhinking of a way to make a door from the house to the penn. right now i have a window on a hinge and have to crawl in the house to open the window and hook it to the roof of the penn.

 

[ImportTheBest]

I may not be the most knowledgeable on the forum, but here's my suggestion:

Add a thin chain from the bottom outer of the window, up through the top of the run's fencing and hook it to a cup hook / handle / screw jutting out. And then when you need to raise the window, simply take that long chain with a hook and raise it to a higher hook.

See how this door is chained:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/citygirlinthecountrys-the-blue-coop

That would be a cheap and easy idea. Hope that helps a bit and I am sure someone that knows more will be able to add another idea or two!

 

[Arielle]

I use eyes and string to lift some doors. Perhaps if you install a plank across the supports of the run about where the pop door touches the roof of the run. Attach an eye to the pop door and the plank in direct line of the one on the pop door. You may nedd a couple others for control. Like one on top of the plank and one furtherst away from the popdoor out side the run. Run a long string from eye on pop door, to plank, to top of plank to eye outside end of run, leaving enough extra to let the pop door down. You will need to secure the end when popdoor is open in one of two ways.1. Tie a loop and put it over a nail o r2. attach a cleat and use a sailors knot.

Hop e this is clear enough. Pictures can be helpful.

 

[Arielle]

FOrgot to say--NICE COOP!

1 first eye on popdoor
2 cross peice and 1-2 eyes, which ever gets the string to slide easily and not rub on the wood

3 location of another eye, or you can tie off here, up to you.


Just ideas to mull over!

 

[Grateful Dad]

thanks for the idea, im gonna try that since I already have all the materials for that solution.

 

[joan1708]

I use a pulley system to open my pop doors. Below is the door from the main run to an extended run (not as secure). It's green rope that I threaded through the hardware cloth and it hooks on a cut off branch to hold the door open.



Below is a cable and pulley that opens the pop door from the coop to the main run. It clips to a ring on the outside of the coop. to secure them when closed I use a metal stick and run it through the hardware cloth on

 

[Grateful Dad]

very inventive Joan.
One part about the giant window (53"x24") is it allows tons of light and i can see into the coop and count my chickens. hehe
they dont need the ramp to get in they can just jump/fly into the coop.
I may just make a smaller door for them on the far side of the window.

 

[SleepyOwl]

Nice coop! How do you clean the run though?

 

[Grateful Dad]

Nice coop! How do you clean the run though?

Well thats a good question isnt it.
I still need to build a door to the run. Im in between gigs at the moment so I am doing it in pieces.
anyone going to this?
http://starscapefestival.com/
Ill be there!

 

[Grateful Dad]

I used this idea and it works great so far... I still need to engineer some other ideas like a door in the run and a roost (i have some big cut branches for that) and nest box with a lid to collect the rent. Should I put a roost in the run too?

FOrgot to say--NICE COOP!

1 first eye on popdoor
2 cross peice and 1-2 eyes, which ever gets the string to slide easily and not rub on the wood

3 location of another eye, or you can tie off here, up to you.


Just ideas to mull over!