Poorly chicken

[The Mcconnochies]

Hi all, after our run in with Mr Fox we are thinking more about the security of our coop.

 

We have a wooden one with a horizontal door and were looking at getting an automatic door opener/closer.

 

The problem is that all the products seem to be for vertical door openings...has anyone any experience of converting a horizontal door to a vertical one? If not, any other thoughts on how to make things more secure?

 

We are worried about being away for a day or two at the weekend...our plan had been to leave the door open and allow the chooks to use the small part of the run...we are now worried that wont be secure enough.

 

Any thoughts/advice?

[PeckyBeak]

Personally I would never have one of those as it would be very easy for a chicken to get locked out. My lot often go up, then some come down again before I have closed up even after dusk.

Haven't you got a friendly neighbour that could pop in for a couple of days in return for the eggs?

[The Mcconnochies]

Personally I would never have one of those as it would be very easy for a chicken to get locked out. My lot often go up, then some come down again before I have closed up even after dusk.

Haven't you got a friendly neighbour that could pop in for a couple of days in return for the eggs?

 

Thanks, it was more an 'any ideas on the conversion/experience of automatic door opening' i was hoping for.

 

We have only recently moved in so we dont know many neighbours yet.

 

[Redwing]

You can get metal popholes with the sliders on ebay so if you can take off the old door and its runners so the front of the coop is flat you could fix the metal one. You can also leave the present door in place and permenantly open but fix a kit on the inside of the coop - see here: http://www.flytesofancy.co.uk/chickenhouses/Auto_Chicken_House_Door_Opener.html

 

Alternatively you can get an auto door for sideways sliding doors, it works with a rod pushing and pulling the door instead of the rope you get with a vertical pophole

[The Mcconnochies]

You can get metal popholes with the sliders on ebay so if you can take off the old door and its runners so the front of the coop is flat you could fix the metal one. You can also leave the present door in place and permenantly open but fix a kit on the inside of the coop - see here: http://www.flytesofancy.co.uk/chickenhouses/Auto_Chicken_House_Door_Opener.html

 

Alternatively you can get an auto door for sideways sliding doors, it works with a rod pushing and pulling the door instead of the rope you get with a vertical pophole

 

Ohh, thank you.