Sliding chicken door

[gootziecat]

Hi Everybody,

I've been looking over henhouse designs and note sliding chicken doors are popular. What are the advantages of these over the hinged doors? Thanks.

Gootziecat

 

[Dogfish]

You can make them lock upon closing, and it is easy to add an automatic door opener to them. To me, they present a much more secure entry point to the coop.

http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q233/mesoas/Chickens/?action=view&current=0401000714.flv

On smaller coops with low inside height, a flip up door may be a better option.

 

[gootziecat]

Thanks, Dogfish. I appreciate the answer and pixs. I'll have to look into them more carefully.

 

[teach1rusl]

I converted my track door to an auto door. Mine does not lock. When we first built the coop, we went with a sliding/track door because it was easy to set up on a pulley system to open/close from outside the coop and run. That was something I really wanted. Here's a shot of how it looked/worked before we converted it to an auto. door. The wire along the top exited the coop housing, and would be clipped in open or closed position.

 

[HarryBun12]

Sorry no pictures, but I have to say the same as Dogfish. The security and the ability to add an automatic opener. I just completed my second small coop and included the same automatic opener as my first coop using a car antenna. What a lifesaver in the winter not having to run out in the freezing weather at 6:00 am. If you have any inclination to do that sort of setup, it's worth the 40 or 50 dollar investment. Also, for me I made the sliding door out of thick plexiglass to act as an additional window when closed.

 

[Dogfish]

http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q233/mesoas/Chickens/?action=view&current=0401000714.mp4

 

[shocksystems]

http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q233/mesoas/Chickens/?action=view&current=0401000714.mp4

Thanks for posting that video, I was wondering how it secured itself upon closing.

Cheers!

Jim

 

[The Lazy L]

http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q233/mesoas/Chickens/?action=view&current=0401000714.mp4

Slick! Very slick!

 

[Linn Bee]

I made my coop with a door hinged on top. Easy to open and close as long as the weather was nice. I later made an inside, sliding door for the coop. I find it much easier to use, much warmer to use, much easier to secure (since chickens aren't working the locks to get out) from predators. All these pluses and without an automatic feature . . . yet.