why not put chicken door 4 feet off the ground

[aml]

If chickens can roost and fly to a roost, why do we put the door near the ground? Why not put roosts every 2 feet until they are high enough off the ground to prevent foxes, dogs and other predators from reaching the door? combined with an auto door should solve the problem? thanks for the reply and has anyone made an easy auto door? thanks

 

[Teach97]

for the most part...folks have fat fluffy birds that can't handle the stress of jumping off a perch that high or through a door like that....if you had more athletic type birds it wouldn't be such an issue.


and welcome

 

[cackydoodledoo]

Mine are closer to the ground because it's easier for the chickens and I have enclosed runs that are predator proof. You could do like you are saying as long as you put a big enough platform for them to all stand on or at least several of them. You would still have to put something outside for them to be able to get back in like a ladder or something and that wouldn't prevent moles or raccoons from getting in. It's a good idea but not completely fool proof but it's hard when you have a variety of predators in different sizes. We are lucky here as coyotes, hawks and owls are our only real concern. We don't have smaller predators like raccoons etc.... The coyotes outnumber them and I don't think most of the smaller predators like in desert like areas. Good luck with that and let us know how it works!!!


ETA:

 

[LittleLady98]

My pullet is too fat and heavy to hardly fly at all...(She was a poultry farm chick.) So she has free access to the whole yard, and her nesting box/bed is an old doghouse because NO ONE wants to lift HER in a coop. It's bad enough when I have to take her out of the big coop that the other chickens sleep in (She can't get back out by herself).




And,

 

[Shanda]

My bigger australorps have injured their legs while jumping down from the 4 foot roost instead of walking down the beautiful ladder my husband built them

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[Wisher1000]

I am actually considering this for when I go on vacation for a week. I will have people who come and check on food and water but not to let them out and put them up daily. I am considering taking the wire out of the top half of the door and training them to enter and exit that way. I know I am taking a huge risk but it is better, I think, than having them stay cooped up in an area that is WAY smaller than they are used to. I run the risk of something getting them everyday when I turn them out to free range. It scares me to death but I think I will try it...

 

[Imp]

Someone a couple years ago posted pix of there 2nd story coop. If I remember correctly it was the hay loft in a barn. The chickens had a long ramp to get up there but the person said they learned to use it.

Imp

 

[dawg53]

My chicken house is 3 feet up on stilts with a ramp running up to the entrance. I recently completed an expansion and completely remodeled the interior, mainly lowering all the roosts down to about 6 inches above the floor. The roosts were much higher and going every which way prior to the remodel. Due to the height of the roosts, my heavy breed hens were getting foot/leg injuries from hopping down off the roosts. Problem solved when I lowered them. Nothing can get into their house at night, it is tight.