Ideas to draught proof pop-hole

[Lucylou]

I'm sure all you clever DIY people will be able to give me an idea of how to do this 99

All through the summer I haven't been closing the pop hole at night (my chooks live in a completely enclosed large run) even though I know foxes can find ways & means through wire/digging etc, circumstances were such that something had to give & so I left it open.

I'm in the process of getting a new hen house which can have an automatic closer fitted but I'm going away, new house won't be ready before I go, & I want to be able to leave the pop hole open to make life easy for the 'chicken sitter'!

So my question is this, can anyone suggest a way of draught proofing a bit even with open door? I'm a bit concerned that with bad weather & colder nights & the moulting season, they'll need a bit of warmth. The house is up a 'ladder' so well off the ground & the perches are not in a direct line to the door. I'm thinking of something like a 'tunnel' over the entrance, not sure how effective or easy this might be though.

Any ideas welcome.
xx

 

[tygrysek75]

You can try to put some rubber strips over pophole,but it maka a while until get use to it.I have some hunging in front of nest boxes.

 

[Marigold]

I have the pophole pointed towards a roofed corner of the run where the walls are covered with plastic tarp. This end of the run is therefore sheltered from direct wind which might blow in to the pophole, but I leave it open all year because good ventilation is so important for the hens.

 

[Chuck]

You could try a tunnel but it might take the birds time to adjust and it could make things worse. Leaving the pop hole open is unlikely to cause any harm as chickens are very hardy.

 

[Lucylou]

Thanks everyone.

The house is in the covered end but pop-hole is just out of it. Can't move the whole house which would be the obvious answer so maybe I'll just make a bit of a screen in the run which will stop any real draughts.

 

[Marigold]

Could you perhaps just turn it round to face the other way?

 

[Lucylou]

Unfortunately since building the house we've had to put in another support for the 'roof' so no room to manoever! (& the legs are so well bedded in I don't think we could lift it anyway).

I'm sure with a bit of thought I'll be able to have some sort of a fence/screen without too much trouble (or expense!)

 

[chrismahon]

We hung a curtain up, similar to the photo, at the pop-hole to stop Magpies getting to the eggs as there was no nest box as such. Worked a treat and the hens soon got used to it.