Winter chicken pop door ideas

McCluckles

Chirping
7 Years
Aug 26, 2014
35
10
94
Small-town Ontario
My Coop
My Coop
We're almost finished our chicken coop, but I need a good idea for a pop door.
Our pop door is inside the chicken run, which is only 4 feet high, so its very awkward to get in.
The door doesn't need to be predator proof because the run is very secure, but we need to be able to open it from the outside.
The design also needs to be rugged enough to be able to work in ice and snow, and not let wind in.

We have considered a guillotine style door, but are afraid that the snow would freeze it up.
A plain swing up door would let the chickens out but not in, and they could freeze in the winter.
We considered a plain swing door (hinged at the top) with a locking bar that could slide down across the door, but we were worried about that freezing up as well.

Any ideas?
 
Guillotine door mounted on the outside wall of the coop with stopper (i use 2 screws) at the bottom. No bottom track to accumulate snow and ice. The door can be roped to be operable remotely. The door will not be air tight, but enough to really cut down on wind.
 
Thanks for the suggestion!
We had thought of that, but were worried about the wind.
Thinking about it more, a little lip on one side would majorly cut down the wind.
Thanks ECBW!
 
A guillotine style door mounted on the inside with a rope running through the wall to tie off won't freeze. A small roof and sides on the outside will keep anything from blowing in.
 
Thanks Jetdog!
I forgot to mention in the first post that the way we built the coop, you can't put a guillotine door on the inside.
Sorry! I feel like I'm shooting down everyone's ideas.
The roof and sides is a very good idea, though.
I think we'll end up with a combo of a whole bunch of things in the end
smile.png
 
I've been considering the snow and pop door as well. Considering building on a small box to the outside pop door like a covered pop door porch with two sides and roof. This way when the snow tries to blow in its stopped by the chicken "mud room".
 
I just have one concern with something like that.
Wouldn't the chickens in coming in and out track stuff over the bottom slot?
The chicken mud room idea would certainly cover the issue of getting ice and snow in, though.
 
Actually I wasn't thinking specifically of poo, but we would be using straw, and they could track that in there.
Would a guillotine door with a lip on the bottom and a mud-room work?
I guess we may just have to find out the hard way!
 
Actually I wasn't thinking specifically of poo, but we would be using straw, and they could track that in there.
Would a guillotine door with a lip on the bottom and a mud-room work?
I guess we may just have to find out the hard way!
Don't use a bottom just put in 2 screws as a stop,I did just for this reason and have never had it get clogged up.
 

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