The little exit door from coop to run (?)

[joebryant]

What do you call the little exit door where the chickens leave the coop to enter the run?
I need to put one in the house that I'm finishing up now, and I'd really appreciate photos of others'.
What do I do to be sure that that exit door when closed at night is not a source of a draft, especially in the winter? Thanks

 

[VaM715]

I call it the "pop" door. There are several styles out there. Mine folds up and down on a hinge. I have a pull cord to close it at night and then untie it in the AM and it gravity falls down. There are automatic opener/closers, but they are $$$. I also have one that slides in a channel made out of galvanized tin, but have not put it in the other coop yet.

 

[youthpastor]

I just used an old window, and flipped it so that the opener is on the bottom. It works great and locks closed plus it lets light in either way.

 

[VaM715]

That is a great idea! I have a coop thats dark and I can't get power to it. I just happen to have a few smaller windows laying around.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

If you don't position your roosts in the path of the air current that starts at the pop hole door and rises up to your ventilation opening(s) at the top of the wall, the chickens won't be roosting in a draft, even if the door doesn't have a tight seal or is open. Does that make sense to you?

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Here's what my wonderful husband made:


On hinges, open:

Closed for the night:

 

[Gunslinger]

I just finished my pop door. To prevent draft I cut the opening smaller than the door.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Mine is similar to gunslingers with the addition of a hook on the top of the door and an eye above the door to hook the hook into and lock the door open.

 

[FrontPorchIndiana]

Ours has a small door that is held open with a hook and eye. Then the gangplank hinges up, pressing the door tightly shut and latches with a chain and cup hook.

 

[eggonomist]

My coop is a work in progress, but I finished the door, it's a guillotine type that is sprung in the open position,

Cables on each side pull it to the closed position

and is open closed from the outside

the reason it's actuated with cables is because I hope to run a solar panel to charge a 12v battery, this will in turn power an electric window motor from a car who's arm is connected to the cables, giving me the ability to put a timer on it making it automatic.
The door goes down lower than the opening so no predators can take a swipe, however they would have to stretch the steel cables to try. The ramp will also flip up for the winter sealing out any drafts (another job to do after I finished painting and putting the shingles on).