Please share your pop door photos!

[skylavaulter]

I'm looking to build a pop door on a pulley system to remote access it from outside the run. I've never built something like this so if you all could show me pictures of how yours is set up, I'd really appreciate it! We aren't doing an automatic door opener (husband will kill me if I spend anymore on this project!) so I'm looking for string / wire pulley systems. And ways to keep it predator proof so they can't just lift the door. Thanks!!!

 

[mastiffs07]

Following because I plan to make one this weekend to finally get my girls outside

 

[jetdog]

I'm looking to build a pop door on a pulley system to remote access it from outside the run. I've never built something like this so if you all could show me pictures of how yours is set up, I'd really appreciate it! We aren't doing an automatic door opener (husband will kill me if I spend anymore on this project!) so I'm looking for string / wire pulley systems. And ways to keep it predator proof so they can't just lift the door. Thanks!!!

Don't have any pictures of mine but look on YouTube and search for "locking chicken door" a couple of small L shaped pieces of wood, I have this simple lock that can't be lifted up.

 

[PapaChaz]

this is one of the easier things to set up so you should be fine.




Sorry the pics not that good, but you can click to enlarge and hopefully see good enough to figure it, but here's a description. Your pop door opening should be between the wall studs. I used a piece of the siding sheet that was leftover for the actual door.

So, place your sheet or 'door' if you will inside, in between the studs. Mark the thickness of the sheet on the stud on each side of it, this shows you where to place the guides.

For your guides, you can use about anything that will fit inside your studs. I used 1x3. You want these long enough to allow the door to slide up inside the studs and not come out. Nail these on the inside of the studs just back from the mark. You want this to slide easy, enough for you to open, but be tight enough there's no slack or 'play' for a predator to be able to get their 'fingers' under it.

Now slide the door into the 'slot' you've made. Mark along the guides onto the back of your door. This tells you where to attach a frame. Just look at it like you're framing it like a picture. I used some 1x2 for that. You can frame all the way around it, or just the top and sides. This will give it extra support and weight, and gives you a place to attach the hardware.

On the top of the framing, screw in an eye screw in the middle (from side to side) you want it in the middle so the door pulls up straight and doesn't bind. Directly above that at the top of the wall, hang your pulley. You want it so that the rope or cable will feed from the side. Mark all the studs in a line straight across from where the rope or cable will come off the top of the pulley. Drill a hole through each stud in line with the pulley, all the way through each stud until you have a hole going through to the outside.

It doesn't really matter how "deep" you put the pulley, but the closer to the wall you can get it the better. But it is easier to work the rope/cable through all the holes and the pulley if the holes are closer to the center of your studs. Remember, you want this as close to straight as possible to prevent binding. More for when closing that opening.

Attach one end of your rope or cable to the screw eye. Now feed through the pulley, pass it through each of the studs and the outside wall. Some people will buy a small plastic pipe elbow to put in the hole in the wall to prevent wear on the wall and the cable. On the outside, run it to a place you can comfortably reach it. You can put a nail, a screw a hook etc, to catch it on. cut it and make a loop at that point. Now pull and watch the door go up. When it clears the opening, mark where the loop on your cable is, put another hook, nail or screw to hold the door open.

I've used just plain old rope, but the coated cable works better. I actually used an old dog tie out cable, just because I had it and it already had hooks on it. you can buy a clamp or crimps to run the cable through to make your loops. Just remember to run it through the pulley and all the holes first!

good luck! I can try to get a better picture, but my roosts and poop boards are built now and in the way....

I edited to add the outside pic, and to say. Remember when you cut your pop doors, to make them high enough off of the floor inside to allow for your bedding, especially if you're going to do the deep litter method. this will keep the bedding inside!

 

[Finnie]

If you look on this thread down to post #15, this is the one I am planning to copy. (I have it bookmarked.

)

I thought it looked simple enough for my abilities, and I think as long as you place it close enough to the side of the run, you shouldn't have any problem working it from outside.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/193069/post-your-pop-door-and-lock-pics/10

I especially like how the wooden dowel both props it open, and prevents it from being lifted.

 

[tracecom]

I had planned a pulley for the rope to go through, but found that eye hooks work fine. The rope attaches to the top of the door with one eye hook, then passes through a second eye hook, where it changes direction from vertical to horizontal, and then through small holes drilled in the studs to get outside the coop. I'm not able to post pictures now, but hopefully you get the idea.

When closed, neither top, bottom, nor the side edges of the door are accessible from the outside, so a predator will have trouble getting a grip on the door.

One thing to think about is that over time, your door may warp a little, so leave a little extra space in the vertical guides.

 

[aart]

I had planned a pulley for the rope to go through, but found that eye hooks work fine. The rope attaches to the top of the door with one eye hook, then passes through a second eye hook, where it changes direction from vertical to horizontal, and then through small holes drilled in the studs to get outside the coop. I'm not able to post pictures now, but hopefully you get the idea.

When closed, neither top, bottom, nor the side edges of the door are accessible from the outside, so a predator will have trouble getting a grip on the door.

One thing to think about is that over time, your door may warp a little, so leave a little extra space in the vertical guides.

Good advice here^^^

I also found large screw eyes to work well...look at My Coop page...I used them for upper windows and a self locking pop door.

 

[Davidhalpern2]

 

[yellowchicks]

Here is an unconventional "pulley system".

Drill a beveled hole in two small pieces of plastic cutting board material, line up with the drilled hole on the coop wall above the door. Insert a short piece of plastic tube through the wall to be sandwiched between the two pieces of the plastic to reduce wear and tear on the rope, then feed the rope through the hole/tube. The plastic materials are slippery enough that pulleys are not needed to enable the rope be pulled in any direction at any angle to control the door.

 

[Hokum Coco]

Mine is as simple as it gets. If you look closely you will notice a monofilament whipper snipper line to the left of my coop. It is threaded though a hole at the top of the left hand door and through the guillotine style poop door. Pull the line door opens. Slack the line door closes/ EASY PEASY.