the chicken door and the dogs

[schmism]

So my labs (or at least one of them) has decided he likes chicken feed, and has been getting into the coupe via the chicken door.

Assume that keeping them away from the coupe entirely is not an option.

If my current door is somewere between 12x12 and 14x14... what dimention would you make smaller to keep them out. (yes even at 14x14 my 80lb lab is squeezeing through it.

im inclined to think to make the opening smaller top to bottom, leaving a relitivly wide(ish) hole, but only 10 or so inches tall.... (hard for them to squirm under something than through something)

my nest boxes are like 11x12 and the girls dont seem to mind that. When we had them in the tractor, we would let them out via lifting an end up and setting it on a block that was neary 8" tall and they managed to squeek in and out if that fine. (granted they were a fuz smaller)

Im fairly shure i have a RIR and some mix of a red and buff. fairly heavy breads. I plan to add a few (3-4) buff opingtons this spring.

**********short verson**************
how small of a door can i have for my girls?

 

[Scrambled Egg]

Don't know the answer to your door size question but my Labradog and my Dachshund both love the chicken feed too! I could hardly keep my Dachshund out of the startngrow with that molasses in it, she was nuts over it, figued she would say "bak bak" any day instead of bark! The Labradog is an outside dog and she evens eats the spilled cracked corn around the outside of the pen! Dogs, go figure!!

 

[bills]

I would think that you could build it similar to the size of a nest opening, which can be as small as
9" high x 12"wide. That should keep a hungry 80lb lab out!

On the other hand I believe chicken feed is alot less expensive than dog feed, so you could add some to his regular feed.

 

[Henrietta23]

Quote:
OMG, I can't help but I could have written this question! We are designing a new coop and that is a main consideration, how to keep the dogs out. One is a lab mix, 70lbs and long and thin. The pug just waltzes right in looking for pellets.

 

[Wildsky]

Could you construct a tunnel like opening where there was a sharp turn - I'm sure a chicken could handle that but a dog couldn't.....

 

[silkiechicken]

I've seen my 10 lb rooster squeeze though the nest hutch door which is about 8.5 inches tall by 7.5 inches inches wide.... no idea what he was doing in there. An 8x8 door would probably work for them, just have to bend down and squish in.