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Counterweight coop door??

post #1 of 6
3/20/11 at 11:58am
Thread Starter 

I have free range chickens, and their food, water, nests are in the coop so they need to be able to come and go as they please throughout the day. However, there is a hoard of sparrows that have decided the coop is their personal buffet. I was wondering if anyone has successfully designed a counterweight door that opens when the weight of a chicken is on the ramp, and slowly closes once the weight is off. Any ideas how to do this or why this shouldn't be attempted?? THanks!!! mm

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post #2 of 6
3/21/11 at 5:41am

I would be worried that the door would not work for some reason and the birds would be locked out from their food & water......

1 Buff Orp, 1 EE, 1 Buckeye, 2 Blue Rocks, 1 Australorp, 1 BBS Frizzle Cochin and 1 Barred Rock
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1 Buff Orp, 1 EE, 1 Buckeye, 2 Blue Rocks, 1 Australorp, 1 BBS Frizzle Cochin and 1 Barred Rock
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post #3 of 6
3/21/11 at 10:24am

This is interesting.

I have pigeons and it seems the opposite issue is a problem the pigeon folks are trying to solve (wanting to keep heavier cats and coons out while allowing the lighter birds inside the loft).  A spring loaded trap door that sorta looks like a mailbox is the design I've seen (kinda like those spring loaded bird seed feeders that shut when a heavy squirrel stands on them).

Any chance you can train the chickens to push a door flap open (sorta like a doggie door)?

I think your best bet is to modify your chicken feeder so the chicken has to step up on to a perch or platform.  The perch would drop with the weight of the chicken and reveal the feed, but the sparrows would not be heavy enough to lower the perch.

Regardless of how you do it, it's probably going to require some conditioning/training of your chickens.
http://www.backyardpoultry.com/forum_pics/feeder.jpg


Treadle Feeder
http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=56638-building-a-treadle-feeder
http://www.backyardchickens.com/images/feeders/auto-feeder.jpg


Edited by TN_BIRD - 3/21/11 at 10:51am
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post #4 of 6
3/21/11 at 10:31am
Thread Starter 

I thought about the flap idea... it might be worth a try. I'm just worried the sparrows would wiggle their way in through a flap...

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post #5 of 6
3/21/11 at 11:41am

I agree with the previous poster, a weight-operated feeder is probably a better bet than a weight-operated popdoor.

YOu can make your own (the previous poster's appears DIY? Nice job btw) or you can buy them (I know I've seen ads for one, I believe it calls itself 'Grandpa's Chicken Feeder' or something like htat? in Backyard Poultry magazine, or check major online poultry supply houses)

That way if something goes wrong ALL they're being deprived of is food, not water or shelter or escape from predators.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

my Big Ol' Ventilation Page is at http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-VENTILATION
and Big Ol' Mud Page (fixing muddy runs): http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-fix-a-muddy-run
and Cold Coop (winter design) page: http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-winter-coop-temperatures
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my Big Ol' Ventilation Page is at http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-VENTILATION
and Big Ol' Mud Page (fixing muddy runs): http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-fix-a-muddy-run
and Cold Coop (winter design) page: http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-winter-coop-temperatures
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post #6 of 6
4/1/11 at 1:30pm
Thread Starter 

I love the feeders you posted! However, I would really prefer to keep the darn sparrows out of the coop all together. They poop all over everything and freak out over sounds etc., slam into the walls and kill themselves. Since they aren't thoughtful enough to remove their corpses, I have to do it. I also worry about my chickens getting some kind of disease from them. Yuck! I think I'll try a flap. Thanks!

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