Where would you put the door???

[BooneHillbilly]

I have a 12x20 coop that is sectioned into a 12x12 chicken coop and a 8x12 room for rabbits and quail.. My question is would it be ok to put the entrance door to the 8x12 section on the wall in the coop(see pic below)

OR would it be better to have an outside entrance on an outside wall... see below.. I only ask as there is a 5' drop off the side of the hill where the exterior door woudl go. It I would have to have dozed to be able to make steps... Not to mention costing about 1k bucks..lol

I guess my main quesiton is if I am clean with it woudl be be ok to walk through the coop to get to the other section of building.. All the aniamls in the 8x12 section will be in cages off the floor.. Another plus if I put the door inside is that I woudl be able to heat or air condition the coop form the 8x12 section

 

[joebryant]

If it were I, I'd section off a section that was at least 4'x4' for an entry way between the two sections on the top side of the hill, and I'd put my door there. That would require one regular door and two chicken-wire doors. I would not want to be walking through the coop for sure.

 

[patandchickens]

Can you not have a common entryway, as Joe says, that serves *both* sections? (2 doors)

If the building were quite well ventilated and uncrowded it would not be so bad to walk through the coop to get to the rabbits/quail (although not ideal); but I am concerned that it looks and sounds as though you are planning to create a rather "tight" (not a good thing) and highly populated building. That would create a lot of extra challenges in terms of keeping animals healthy, and having a lot of chicken fumes and chicken germs mixing in with the rabbits and quail would probably make the situation worse.

Ventilation, ventilation, ventilation... not fans, *openings*...

JMHO,

Pat

 

[BooneHillbilly]

well i already have a door in the coop itself...

so what you are suggesting is to have kind oh like a hallway so to speak..

Actuallt the Chickens will have 4sq ft in the coop and 25 per in the run.. Everyone will have everything they need. So basically I need to put in another exterior door and stop trying to be cheep..lol

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
That'd work, and it would also provide YOU with storage space for feed and equipment. All you need is a chicken-wire wall and two chicken-wire doors that you could easily make with 2""x4"s.

 

[patandchickens]

If you're happy putting your chickens in there, it's a free country, and health problems can be dealt with I suppose or large ventilation fans bought and paid to run all the time.

PLEASE tell me you have real footings for those foundation blocks there, though... not just the cinderblocks lying in earth that will wash out and cause them to creep (or rush) downhill as time goes by...


Pat, who has seen a lot of arrangements like that end up somewhat downhill of where they started, not necessarily upright anymore and not necessarily with inhabitants undamaged...

 

[BooneHillbilly]

Nope they are on tamped clay earth, same as the other shed that has been inplace for 25 years on the same piece of property.. I do not forsee any health problems as I have followed the guidelines. Why dont you give me a link to your setups......

 

[sillybirds]

If you really don't want to buy another door, you could even move the already installed door and make the common entry hallway between the two sections, as suggested by Joe and Pat. That'd be a great place to store feed, etc., and to provide shelter when you're tending to your animals in inclement weather.

I should add, it looks like you've done a fine job with the construction! Your animals are going to have it good.

 

[BooneHillbilly]

Well I went out and bought another door..lol.. Along with more windows.. Thanks for the tips!!!

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
Pictures! We want pictures! Keep us in mind; this looks likes it's going to be a terrific setup.
BTW, are you going to have a separate door for each section? Is that why you bought another door?