What size for in-floor pop door?

[truebluexf]

Thanks.

 

[elmo]

Are you sure you want the pop door in the floor? Not only does it use up (waste) floor space, but unless you build a deep lip around the opening, you'll be losing bedding down the hole constantly.

 

[TouchO'Lass]

I actually have been wondering the same. My coop (8x8) is going to be elevated with an enclosure around the bottom with access to different runs on three sides, so a side door would be difficult to manage...

AND I plan to use DLM so I plan on an adjustable height for the bedding, but I was also wondering if the hens get spooked if the pop hole is too small, etc...

 

[truebluexf]

Yes we're sure.

It has a slatted floor anyway. Regardless, we figured out what we wanted to do. Trap door ramp. When it's closed, the floor space reappears.

The coop can be converted to a tractor, but will generally be attached to their 50sqft run. The hawks were circling today....I'm thinking free ranging just isn't going to happen here!

 

[TouchO'Lass]

Anyone?

 

[JAHA]

Bump.
Any advice on this?
TouchO'Lass, truebluexf, what did you guys end up doing?

 

[vclark321]

Hi, I have a chicken tractor that has a 'trap door' in the bottom and I did put a lip around the door area to keep the bedding from falling out. It works quite well and the girls do just fine with it. I have a ladder I put up and take down when opening and closing. I believe my door is at least 1 foot by 1 foot. I can measure for sure when I get home from work in the morning. I don't have any extra issues with lack of floor space since the girls either roost on their bar or on the top of the nesting box. They are a bigger breed and they have no trouble getting up and down the ladder and they even have to make a small jump from the deck of the coop to the first step on the ladder. I have a brace I turn to keep the pop door closed at night.

I hope this helps. I have some pictures on my page of my tractor. Good luck!

 

[Opa]

I have an A frame coop that I keep bantams in and since the cage is beneath the coop a trap door in the floor is the only option. I built a lip around the opening to prevent shavings from falling through the opening. Due to the ramp being attach to one edge of the opening you will need to make your opening much longer than you would make the door height in a wall opening situation. For example: if a pop out door in a wall was 12x12, a opening in a floor would need to be 12x24.

 

[JAHA]

Thanks. I went with a 12 x 24 inch pop hole. This long pophole gives the chickens plenty of head room as they come up the ladder.