If you are interested in raising your own chickens, the right chicken coop door can be very important. When you construct a chicken coop, you should make sure the birds can get in and out of the coop, but predators cannot get in. You will want to access the coop in order to clean it out, so you should make sure there is a door that makes it easy for you to do this. It can be helpful if this access door is lockable so other people will not be able to get inside it.
A chicken coop may need two separate doors, one for the hens and one for people. In order to build the right chicken coop door, it is helpful to know how big each opening should be. A good one for chickens is one that is around 12 inches (30.48 cm) high and 6 inches (15.24 cm) wide. This may have a mechanism, which slides from top to bottom whenever it needs to be closed. For added security, you may want to choose one that has a latch on it so other animals are not able to open it.
When choosing a chicken coop door for people to use, you may want one slightly smaller than a home entrance door. One for a homemade chicken coop may need to be about 6 feet (1.83 m) high and 3 to 4 feet (.92 to 1.22 m) wide. It is very important to make sure this door swings outward rather than inward because one that opens toward the inside could disturb the chickens.
Whether you are choosing a door for the chickens or for yourself, it is very important to select weatherproof materials. If you plan to build a chicken coop from wood, it is smart to use pressure-treated lumber for the frame, doors, and windows. It is also a good idea to use aluminum latches in order to keep them from rusting. You may want to paint the door with an exterior paint followed by a coat of polyurethane for added protection.
The right chicken coop door should protect your birds from the elements, so this fixture should close tightly and fit snugly. After putting the door up, you should not be able to feel any drafts from the inside. If there are a few small openings, you may want to seal them with caulk or weatherproof stripping so that your birds will be protected from drafts no matter what the season.
