A key consideration when building or buying a chicken coop is determining the ideal size for the chicken door. This entrance allows the chickens access to the coop and run area. The right dimensions help ensure the chickens can get in and out easily while keeping predators out. After keeping chickens for several years and building a few coops, here is what I’ve learned about chicken door dimensions.
Factors That Determine Chicken Door Size
Several aspects impact the ideal chicken door size:
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Chicken breed – Larger breeds need more space to pass through than bantams.
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Number of chickens – More chickens require a wider door so they don’t crowd.
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Predators – A larger opening may allow predators entry
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Human access – The door should allow you to reach in for cleaning/collecting eggs.
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Ventilation – Some airflow is needed but you want to limit drafts.
Considering these elements will lead you to the perfect chicken door size.
Standard Chicken Door Dimensions
Most chicken keepers recommend a door around 12 x 12 inches. This allows easy passing for full sized hens while deterring predators. Bantams could get by with a 10 x 10 inch door.
If you have a large flock, a wider door around 15 inches gives more room. Tall chickens like Jersey Giants may need a taller 14 inch door.
For a small backyard flock, 12 x 12 inches provides a good balance. This allows multiple hens to exit together without crowding. And it gives you access to reach in for cleaning while making entry tough for predators.
Door Placement
Where you position the chicken door also matters. Locate it on a side wall near the middle rather than a corner. Predators could more easily access a corner door.
Many designs place the door about 12-18 inches from the floor. This prevents bedding from spilling out but allows chickens to hop in and out with ease.
You may want to add a ramp, steps, or roosting bar below the door to make entry simpler. This helps short or young chickens.
Other Chicken Door Considerations
A few other tips for your coop’s chicken door:
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Make sure it opens outward so chickens don’t get trapped inside.
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Add a latch that stays firmly shut at night.
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Consider adding clear plastic or hardware cloth to allow light inside.
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If you have cold winters, insulate around the door to prevent drafts.
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Only open the door during daylight hours when you are home.
By incorporating these guidelines when building or buying your coop, the chicken door should be perfectly sized for your flock. Monitor your chickens’ use after installing it and make any needed adjustments. With the right dimensions in place, your chickens will happily venture out each morning and stay safely locked in at night.
Chicken coop pop door designs
If you decide you’d rather go the route of using a manual door, you’ll want to build your chicken door so it opens to the outside. This way, you don’t have to worry about bedding getting in the way, and the door will be easy for you to open and close.
There are several different styles of chicken doors you can choose from, including:
- Swinging doors—these doors swing open on a horizontal plane
- Sliding doors—these doors slide either horizontally or vertically
- Ramp doors—these doors swing open downward on a vertical plane and also serve as a ramp for the birds to get into and out of the coop
Luckily, I have chicken coops that feature all of these designs, so I can show you examples of each.
All three of these doors work fine. The ramp door is my least favorite. The ramp ended up being too steep. In order for the ramp to have been less steep, it would have to have been really long, which kind of defeats the purpose of a ramp door.
You can see in the photo below that my husband had to attach another board to the bottom of the coop at a shallower angle. Now the ramp door rests on that other board when it’s open.
If your coop isn’t elevated at all, you may be able to build a ramp door that works, but most coops should be elevated. To find out why, check out my article, Does your chicken coop need to be off the ground?
For more on ramps, check out my article, Chicken coop ramps: Your ultimate guide.
Automatic vs. manual chicken coop doors
All of my chicken coops have manual doors. This is because I work from home. I’m always available to open the doors first thing in the morning. And then I close them as soon as the chickens are all back inside for the night.
For me, having an automatic chicken door wouldn’t save me any time. I have to go to the coops to bring the chicken food and water back into the house every night anyway.
However, if you have a less flexible schedule, you may want to consider an automatic chicken coop door. An automatic door can either be set to open and close at a certain time, or it can be set to open and close based on the level of light.
Automatic coop doors have both benefits and disadvantages. Below are some of the pros and cons.
- You don’t have to get up early to let your chickens out
- You don’t have to remember to close the door at night
- If you aren’t home when it gets dark, you don’t have to worry about your chickens
- You can more easily leave your chickens to go on vacation
- If the power supply fails, the door may be open at night, leaving your chickens unprotected and exposed to drafts
- Some automatic doors stop working if the temperature gets below freezing
- If the door closes before all your chickens are in the coop, they will be stuck in the run all night
I pored over dozens of chicken forums, chicken Facebook groups, and Amazon reviews to find out which automatic chicken coop doors are most highly recommended. There are a few brands of automatic chicken coop doors that came up over and over again as the very best automatic doors in the industry.
The ChickenGuard Chicken Coop Door is the most-recommended battery-powered automatic chicken door. This may be the highest-quality chicken coop door available, very heavy duty, designed for all weather, and it comes with a 3-year warranty (or at least at the time of this writing).
Although most batteries only last for 6-9 months, many chicken keepers have said that their ChickenGuard batteries lasted over a year. Regardless, the door does come with an indicator light to let you know the batteries are getting low and need to be changed.
Check out the YouTube video below that reviews the ChickenGuard Automatic Door. The man shows night video footage of his entire flock being stuck in the run because his previous door (not the ChickenGuard door) closed too early. The flock is massacred by what I think is a fox.
The man in the video explains that his previous door (not the ChickenGuard brand) was set to close on a timer, so when the days got longer, the door closed too early and the chickens were stuck in the run. You can set the ChickenGuard Automatic Door to close at a certain light level to prevent this problem.
When it comes to solar-powered chicken coop doors, the majority of chicken keepers recommended theHappy Henhouse Automatic Chicken Coop Door. However, if you check this coop door out here on Amazon, you’ll find one video review showing that the door, while it’s easy to install and works well, isn’t predator-proof.
There’s also a completely different kind of solar-powered door that many recommend, called the Coop Controls Automatic Door. This is a device that attaches to the side of your coop or run and actually closes your existing door.
Below is a YouTube video that shows you how it works and exactly how to install it:
You can make your own automatic door if you’re the DIY type. If you search the chicken forums, you’ll find a lot of examples. Below is a YouTube video showing one example of a homemade automatic door.
Best Automatic Chicken Coop Doors (2025 Update)
FAQ
How big is the chicken coop door?
A width of 9-12 inches allows a single chicken to pass through comfortably. This ensures that most chickens can enter and exit the coop without difficulty. Chicken breeds have varying heights, so the coop door’s height should be adjusted accordingly.
How big should I make a chicken door?
A good chicken coop door is 10 inches wide x 10-13 inches high. The door should be at least 6 inches off the ground, and should swing outwards away from the coop. Some models of automatic doors work well. Manual doors need to have latches and locks that are absolutely secure against predators.
What are the dimensions of an automatic chicken door?
Outside dimensions of the door are 13.8” x 9.4” x 1.3”. Inside door “walk through” dimensions are 10” x 8”.
Is a 4×8 coop big enough for 12 chickens?
These 4×8 chicken coops can house a wide range of chickens. The Q48C is a chicken run and coop combination, so it can’t comfortably house as many chickens as the other models. The Q48C is a great choice for someone looking for a chicken coop for 6 chickens. Our D48 and Q48 chicken coops house 12-16 chickens.