Chicken coops are important because they help protect chickens from bad weather, predators, and diseases. They cannot live without them! So, it’s essential to have it, but what are some chicken coop door ideas to spruce it up?
That’s what we’ll cover in this article today. We’re covering 13 different chicken coop door ideas – so no matter what you want, there is an option for that.
Let’s dive in.
13 Chicken Coop Door Ideas
Depending on what you want, it may be pricier and require more work, often for things like design and safety features. That isn’t to say that you can’t opt for a cheaper option with only a few steps.
So, whatever you want, we’ve got an option for it.
1. Wire Door
This door is a simplistic door that doesn’t require much work. You will need scissors, a hammer, a screwdriver, mesh, some nails, and wooden planks.
Begin by measuring the space you will need to fit a frame for the door.
Next, make sure to buy mesh with openings small enough that chickens won’t be able to get out or predators can’t enter your coop. Cut two pieces of wooden planks and nail them together to make a frame.
Finally, attach the mesh with some nails and secure it by hammering in screws at each corner of the door’s frame for extra stability
The good part about this type of door is that you can easily adjust it when needed without much work simply by cutting smaller or bigger pieces of mesh. You can easily monitor your chickens from outside as the wire is transparent, and check to ensure they are all safe at night by simply looking through it if needed.
Plus, these door types won’t eat up a lot of space in your coop, either!
The bad thing about this kind of chicken coop door is that you need access to tools like scissors, hammer, or drill to install them into your coop, which can be expensive if you don’t already have them.
Also, because it is wire mesh, predators might still find a way to get in and out of the door (they could rip through or squeeze their claws), so monitor this kind of door for any such signs carefully!
2. Pop Door
This door is also a simple door, not requiring any super-advanced mechanics. It swings open, much like a dog door, because of a simple, inexpensive spring mechanism. The pop doors can be motorized or manual (depending on your preference and budget).
It is designed to open at the same time each day – usually in the morning so chickens can venture out and do their chickenly activities.
It is large enough for various size poultry to pass through easily while still being adequately secure from predators or birds of prey above.
Special designs are available for windy climates or high-vandal areas, with reinforcing strapping permanently attached. This is important because it keeps the door shut against any gusts of winds that may occur from time to time in your location.
Furthermore, a special latch system can be added as an extra precaution, especially when dealing with larger farm bird populations like turkeys or geese which have greater strength and weight ratios than same-sized chickens.
3. Automated Pop Door
This door you can buy an Amazon below is an extremely affordable door that is easy to install, very secure, and has a sleek design. This automated door is great for keeping out snakes, raccoons, and predators so that your chickens stay in their coop at night.
It includes a light sensor to detect when it’s dark outside and will automatically close the chicken coop door after sundown or during bad weather! The motor can also last up to 5 years and is backed by a warranty.
This door can also be controlled remotely, so you don’t need to worry about getting out of your car or leaving your comfort zone since this automated door can easily be operated from the comfort of your seat.
You don’t have to worry about leaving drowsy chickens behind, either, as this automated chicken coop door opener has a backup battery if you forget to close it at night or accidentally leave your house without closing it up properly!
PrimeEligable
- 10-minute setup
- 1+ year battery life
- Works in extreme weather
- Provides necessary ventilation
4. Solar Door
If you are a very technical person and have a day to spare, this is certainly an option you’ll want to consider. If you have plenty of sun, this could be an amazing and eco-friendly option for you.
To begin, you’ll need to create a system of solar panels that are connected to an electrical actuator. This will allow the sun’s energy gathered from your photovoltaic cells or other renewable sources to open and close your coop door on its own during designated times based on a predetermined timer setting.
Additionally, if there’s not enough light, you can install a small storage battery that will be used to close and open the door when needed.
Finally, for safety concerns, thermostats attached to detect motion can help protect your chickens from unscrupulous predators attempting access through night visits of unwelcome wildlife.
5. Ball-lock Door
This is an extremely secure DIY chicken coop door. For this project, you will need good knowledge of mechanics, a sturdy ball, wood, screws, a hammer, and screwdrivers.
First, measure the opening of your coop and cut a piece of wood to fit. Attach two hinges at either end with screws. Positioning them correctly so that they will catch on each side when shut allows for greater security as well as an easier opening/closing process without having to worry about misaligning or jamming up the door.
Now you will drill a hole in the lower portion of your new door, then insert and fix firmly into place one side of a keeper’s ball-lock unit. The other half is secured to the coop’s frame with screws.
Once all these components are securely attached when closed, its spring-loaded plunger locks against that inside ball pulled up by simply applying pressure on the outside lever handle.
When open, the lever handle can be held (or by adding a chain for extra security) to ensure your chickens remain in their enclosure when outside exploring time permits.
6. Sliding Door
A sliding door is a simple option that is fairly simple to make. You will need some thin rope, nails, wooden planks, an eye hook, a hammer, a screwdriver, and additional materials.
You can leave the door slightly open for ventilation purposes when the chickens are out and close it during the night. This option will definitely require more work than an Amazon-bought option and most other simplistic options.
7. Timed Door
This is another automatic chicken coop door opener. You will need a timer, a motor, wiring, and the door itself. This is definitely one of the more complicated options.
To begin, you will need to install a timer on the outside of your chicken coop in an area that is easily accessible.
The controls for this timer should be carefully adjusted so that it opens and closes at pre-set times throughout the day – usually sunrise and sunset. You then attach one end of the timer to a motor that will open and close your coop door.
Connect one side of the wiring from this motor directly or indirectly to either an interior switch box (which you control) or a thermostat nearby, which senses outside temperatures for it to accurately time when daylight arrives each day.
When hooked up properly, once powered by electricity through external sources such as solar panels with batteries attached.
Lastly, I recommend looking into using cedar wood planks that have been treated with weather-resistant stains to ensure you get many years of outdoor use out of your new hardware.
This detailed process is definitely not for the faint-hearted and can be quite intimidating, but once complete, it should offer reliable opening and closing times throughout each day while allowing your chickens freedom within a safe environment at all times!
8. Curtain Door
If predators aren’t a problem in your area then you could just opt for a simple water-proof curtain. This will allow chickens to stay dry and freely move.
A curtained door can be made using strong waterproof fabric. Create a hoop frame from some wooden poles and then stretch the fabric over it to form an arch-like structure, securing each end of the material with rope or wire.
This requires minimal effort but might require yet another piece of security, such as adding additional support for heavier curtains, fixing them with hooks, wrapping bails of wire, or using a large zip. You can add beads and other decorative items to the curtain’s hemline for some extra charming appeal.
9. Double Door
This is another simple door, much like our double doors, but smaller in size. It’s very secure and customizable to your liking. The hinges can be secured from both sides so your chickens stay in, and any predators will stay out.
This chicken coop door is perfect for smaller flocks or those with a limited budget.
It’s easy to clean and provides great ventilation when opened as wide open as possible on nice days. When closed, it completely seals the opening shut, ensuring all of the predators are kept away from harm!
You can even add locks to this type of double door if you’d like extra security for your flock, though most people don’t find that necessary unless you have large intimidating critters around the area. It’s the best option for that extra peace of mind!
This is a great door to get, especially if you have small-size birds or limited space in your coop. With customizable features and locks used optionally, this double door provides both ventilation and security, which makes it an ideal choice for larger flocks too!
10. Swinging Door
This is another automatic chicken coop door idea. This is a more complicated option requiring around 2-days of work and this does require some experience with a linear actuator and photo resistors.
11. Water Door
This is one of the more manual doors, but it can certainly be more fun for your chicken. You will need to connect your sprinklers to a pipe that leads water to a bucket. The bucket should then open the sliding door.
12. Latch-lock Door
A latch-lock is definitely one of the safest options for your chickens. It’s also fairly simple to build. You’ll need a hinge, some string, some wooden planks, screws, and a screwdriver.
By the way, if you want to learn whether chickens can eat broccoli or uncooked rice, click there.
13. Dutch Door
This is one of the simpler manual chicken coup door ideas. If you have some flighty and energetic birds that might be to fly out first, this would be a great door option for you.
Once you let the chickens out, you can close the lower door, so if a predator comes out of nowhere, the chickens can make it over the bottom door while giving a barrier to the predator.
Last Word
So, there are your 13 chicken coup door ideas. Depending on what you want, there’s an option for that. Overall, we recommend getting the affordable Amazon door that is sleek and secure.
But there are many other DIY options available for you.
Comment down below which door you like best and why!
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