What should floor door dimensions be?

[Tracerkid]

Hello All,

We are working on our coop today and I find so many great ideas on here Would anyone please tell me the size of their floor door? Thanks Everyone.

 

[PapaChaz]

the pop door for the chickens to get out? 12" x15" is plenty big enough

 

[tcstoehr]

I think the OP wanted the dimensions of a door mounted horizontally in the floor, for a raised coop situation?

 

[PapaChaz]

I think the OP wanted the dimensions of a door mounted horizontally in the floor, for a raised coop situation?

well that could be, kinda hard for us country boys to figure out sometimes with not a lot of specifics, LOL

if it's a door through the floor for the chickens to go down through to the ground, 12" wide is plenty wide enough, but to know the length, it would depend on how high off the ground, and the slope of the ramp they're going to use....

 

[Tracerkid]

Hi, it will be 30 inches off the ground and the slope I'm not sure of. It is plenty big underneath so I guess what ever would work. Thanks Country Boy this City Girl appreciates any advice given

 

[PapaChaz]

Hi, it will be 30 inches off the ground and the slope I'm not sure of. It is plenty big underneath so I guess what ever would work. Thanks Country Boy this City Girl appreciates any advice given

been playing with google sketchup to get some ideas. here's what I came up with. at 30" off the ground, if you make your ramp 5' long, it will be a 30 degree angle. At that angle, it will take approx a 2' long opening to get 12" clearance between the bottom of the floor and the ramp.

if you cut the ramp to 4' long, it puts the angle at 40 degrees, but you can get a foot of clearance by making the length of the hole in the floor 15". Depending on how much floor space you have and want to give up for the opening, there you go!

question for you, is there an attached run? if so, you won't lose any floor space in the coop itself if you go out through the wall with the pop door instead of through the floor. If you decide to put it through the wall, a foot square is sufficient for most breeds. IF you go through the wall, before you cut the hole out determine what you think the deepest you'll have your 'bedding' inside the coop (if you're going to do deep litter method) and make sure you cut the hole in the wall at least that far above the floor.

hope this helps!

 

[Tracerkid]

Thanks so much

 

[PapaChaz]

you're quite welcome! pics when it's finished please

 

[bdjh]

Watching my girls walk up their ramp, I'm thinking that 40 degrees might be a little steep. Ours is likely closer to 30 degrees, and even with that, they often slide a little. Whatever angle you end up with, though, I think as long as you've got plenty of 'traction bars', they'll manage. I agree with PapaChaz that a side door would be preferable if your design allows for it. You'd probably be shocked at home much bedding you'd lose through a hole in the floor. Picture a room full of drunken 3-year-olds with an unlimited number of toys, in a small room, with a big trap door in the middle......

 

[Tracerkid]

Hahahahahaha, that is funny