20 DIY Chicken Coop Door Ideas

Today, we will be presenting you with 20 DIY chicken coop door ideas.

The chicken coop door is one of the most important components of your chickens’ house. Not only because it allows them to go in and out of the coop, but because it could also account for your little critters’ safety, and sometimes it is literally the only thing keeping them from being a predators’ meal.

Whatever you are looking for, there will be a chicken coop door for you. Now, let us take you through 20 different chicken coop doors to find your perfect match.

1. Pop Door

Let us start with the good old pop door – sometimes also called a pop hole. There are several ways to fashion this, but the main idea is to create a door that flaps up and down. Its structure and appearance are identical to the dog door.

You need to keep the pop door open during the day, so you need something to keep it secured in place when the sun is still up. You could use a cabin hook, or if it is not available, you can use anything similar. The important thing is it is something that will keep the door open when needed.

You can choose to skip adding a lock if there are no predators in your area.

 

2. Heavy Duty Automatic Pop Door

As the name suggests, this one is similar to the first idea – only it is automatic. This kind of pop door automatically opens the chicken door in the morning and closes it at night. It would be perfect if you are not an early riser or you go home pretty late at times.

There are several automatic pop-door devices you could buy. However, if you are a little techy, then you can create one yourself. If you own a timer or a solar panel and you know your way around wires, then you most likely can recreate an automatic pop door.  

 

3. Solar-Powered Door

Since we are already talking about solar panels, then you might want a solar-powered chicken door.

However, it is not what you are thinking. Solar-powered doors do not solely work on sunlight alone. The solar panel is usually used in conjunction with a timer. Mainly, the solar panels come in as a means to get the energy to execute the command to either open or close the door.

The solar-powered door is perfect if your coop is in a place where there is plenty of sunlight.

 

4. Timer Door

Since we have mentioned timers, let us talk about the chicken coop door that relies on a timer.

This one can also be used in conjunction with a solar panel. However, this could also work without a solar panel if you have a means of connecting it to some power supply.

You can choose this method if the previous idea fancies you, but your coop is in a place where there is not much sunlight.

 

5. Roosting Door

Okay, so the previous ideas might be a little hard to install if you are not that techy. We hear you.

If you like the concept of the automatic door, then this one is for you. The roosting door is still automated. However, it does not require tinkering with wires and electricity. It is my favorite on this list!

The idea behind this one is that you would use your chickens and their roost to be the trigger to open or close your chicken coop door. There would be a lot of weighing in this one, so it might take a few trial-and-error attempts to perfect the triggering mechanism.

If you plan to do this, be sure there is absolutely nowhere else in the coop where your chickens could roost.

 

6. Screen Door

On the other hand, maybe you just want a good old manual door. Do not worry because we have a few of those on this list.

The screen door is perfect if you live in a hot area and your chickens need more ventilation. It could also be great for the summer season! Just make sure you use sturdy wires if predators are looming and roaming around the area.

Furthermore, make sure you have something to cover the screen when winter starts to roll in! We do not want the little critters to get frostbite in their own home, after all.

 

7. Sliding Door

This one is quite simple but can do what it is supposed to do!

As the name suggests, you slide the coop door to open or close it. However, you might need some knowledge about woodwork as you need to create a framework wherein you will slide the wood that also doubles as your door. Eye hooks and some string could work for the lifting mechanism. A nail could be enough to keep the line in place and the door open.

Since the lifting system is outside, then this is perfect if you have busy mornings and cannot enter the coop immediately to open the door for the little critters.

 

8. Sliding Door 2.0

As the name suggests, it is identical to the previous idea. The only difference between the two is that the lifting system in this one is inside.

It is perfect if you live with some curious kids. This will prevent them from accidentally closing the door if the lifting apparatus is outside. Also, this would easily allow you to keep the framework and the door inside, which is a great setup if you have some rascals that keep trying to break into the coop. With this, they won’t have anything to hold on to.

 

9. Sliding Door 3.0

This is another type of sliding door. However, instead of sliding the door up and down, this goes from left to right. If there are predators around, it would be a good idea if the door had a sturdy and hard-to-open lock. Furthermore, it would be ideal if it wasn’t that easy to slide the door on the frame.

 

10. Pulley System Chicken Coop Doors

Automatic chicken coops are expensive, and installation usually requires some technical know-how. Manual chicken coop doors are so, well, manual; you need to bend over just to open the darn thing. The pulley system chicken coop door solves both problems with some clever physics.

The chicken coop door slides up and down but with the help of a pulley system. Carefully placed strings and reels empower you to slide open the chicken door with a simple tug on the string.

You don’t need special skills to install this thingamajig.

 

11. Chikcnen Powered Sliding Door

This is yet, again, another sliding door. The difference it has from the others is that this is automatic. If you like the system embedded in the sliding door idea, and you go home quite late, this would be perfect for you.

It would also be a good idea to have the frame inside. It would ensure maximum protection from predators as they won’t have anything to hold on to. The only thing left is to make sure you use something that would be hard to break by force.

 

12. DIY Automatic Chicken Coop Door

When DIY aficionado, April Wilkerson, grows tired of manually cooping and uncooping her feathered babies, then you know there’s something good cooking. She elects to install an automatic chicken coop door with light sensors.

So when the light sensors pick up sunlight at the crack of dawn, it activates the linear actuator to open the door. The opposite happens at dusk when there’s no sunlight and the chicken coop door swings shut.

If you’re tired of early morning runs to the coop, this might just be the best chicken coop door system for you.

 

13. Self-locking Door (Latch Method)

Since we are already on the topic of maximizing the safety of your chickens, then let us talk about this self-locking door. It usually works with the sliding door.

The idea here is, if you have some pesky predators always looming around your coop, then this would ensure they do not get in that easily. They could try to open the door all they want, but this self-locking chicken coop door would make sure they stay outside.

 

14. Omlet Chicken Coop Door

The website Gubba Homestead has a helpful DIY article demonstrating how to install the Omlet Chicken Coop Door. First of all, Omlet is an automatic chicken coop door kit. It comes with a sliding door and a power box, plus some cables to connect everything.

Installation is simple; you only need to nail a wooden frame over your chicken door (or, rather, the opening of the door). Once the frame is complete, you can screw the Omlet sliding door over the frame.

 

15. Self-locking Door (Ball Method)

Here is another self-locking door. If you think the latch method is not safe enough, then this one would suit your taste. However, it might cost you more time and funds to create this one.

Furthermore, make sure you get a sturdy ball if you plan to do this. If you have some curious guys in your flock, the ball might get their attention, and they may start pecking at it when the door is closed. It might be funny to watch, but it might not make for a great lock once it is all beaten up and does not look like a ball anymore.

 

16. The Double Door

The double door is one of the manual ones. It is simple, but for me, that is its charm. As the name suggests, it has two doors, an upper and a lower door, that can be opened individually.

It’s a good option if you have some flighty birds in your flock. Once all the chickens are out, you can close the lower door and keep the upper door open. This way, if ever a predator shows up, the chickens could take cover in the coop by jumping over the closed lower door. This should give you enough time to take care of those pesky rascals before they get in.

Make sure you get some sturdy locks to keep the predators out at night!

 

17. Swinging Door

This one is somewhat identical to the previous door as their hinge are both located on the side. However, if you don’t have enough time or space to create two separate doors, this one might be for you.

Furthermore, it is automatic! As always, automatic doors work best if you cannot be there in time when it is time to either open or close your chicken coop door.

The swinging door is usually the chosen type if a handler ever wants to make a coop aesthetic. If you are trying to go for that, you can try sticking to a manual swinging door.

On the other hand, you can try placing the trigger inside to get the best of both worlds! However, you might want to consider that your chickens might accidentally ruin it if you put it someplace they can reach.

 

18. Water Door

This one is another automatic door, and it might just be one of the most fun chicken coop doors on this list.

As the name suggests, it uses water to automatically open or close the coop door. However, like many of the automatic doors on this list, it is somewhat complex to do. If you are looking for an automatic door, then this is one of the least complicated in the bunch.

One thing to keep in mind is this would still involve some manual work. You have to empty the bucket from which it dumps the water when it is time to close the door from time to time.

 

19. Junk Door

We are nearing the end, and maybe you still have not found your perfect door yet.

Let me introduce the junk door. However, do not let the junk door’s name fool you!

The junk door was given its name, as you do not need some fancy materials to bring this door to life. You probably have most – if not all – of the materials for this door already. Furthermore, this one is an automatic door!

If you need to come up with an automatic chicken coop door as soon as possible, then the junk door might be the answer to your problems.

 

20. Curtain Door

The last on our list is the curtain door.

You need some thick clothes or some heavy vinyl sheets for this one. It’s perfect if you are just looking for some protection from the cold. Furthermore, it would allow your chickens to go in and out whenever they would wish to.

However, this is only advisable if your run is tightly sealed so that no predator would be able to come in, or if there are no predators around at all.

Summary

There you have it, 20 DIY chicken coop door ideas!

Whether you are looking for a charming good old fashioned chicken door or an innovative and modern-day coop door, there is a perfect one that would match you and your chickens’ needs.

Finding the best chicken door for your coop is just one of the many ways to make your chicken-raising journey more enjoyable. Aside from simply making a chicken door because you might need it, it is also one of the most pleasing projects you could do.