Automatic coop door killed chicken

[erkme73]

We, unfortunately, do not have that sensor, but we discovered through some investigation that we could monitor (trial and error) after we lost one of our birds that the chickens just will NOT move once it's dark. If they happen to be in the way of the door, then that door will come down on them. That's a fact - just try to move one of your birds in the dark with a red light on (they can't see red light). They resist the push to move because they can't see.

We ran through the scenarios over and over with our doors and came up with the same solution over and over - the door must go down in the light. I'm sure our chickens thought we'd lost our minds, but it has worked now for about 4 years. If one of them is in the doorway, and we have a few that like to park themselves there on the way in at dusk, they get the message once that door starts to move! The door comes down, and they have about 10 minutes to find their spot for the night. Once all are in, we come behind them and do a head count.

I don't understand exactly how the IR sensor works to stop the door, but I definitely sense that you're on the right track to changing how it functions. In the end, the one thing we found that worked was making sure that door went down when there was plenty of light. Once the door is closed, then we have timers extinguishing the lights...

So sorry to hear about your rooster too! It's a horrible way to lose a member of the chicken family, but things do happen, and we learn from them for better or worse...

The IR sensor is like the "safety eyes" on most garage door openers. They shoot a beam across the opening and will prevent the door from closing (or will cause it to reverse direction) if something breaks the beam. My problem was the standard bracket height - which is ideal for chickens that are standing or walking through the opening - was too high to detect just their flattened out necks as they lay across the threshold. It was the confluence of events that lead to the perfect storm. I've never seen any of my girls nap ON the threshold. If they'd been awake, they most certainly would have moved. I'm tempted to post the video as you can see the rest of the girls on the perches startled and were very attentive to the door noise. Unfortunately for Brownie, she must have been sleeping a bit too deep...

 

[lingon]

was too high to detect just their flattened out necks as they lay across the threshold. It was the confluence of events that lead to the perfect storm. I've never seen any of my girls nap ON the threshold. If they'd been awake, they most certainly would have moved. I'm tempted to post the video as you can see the rest of the girls on the perches startled and were very attentive to the door noise. Unfortunately for Brownie, she must have been sleeping a bit too deep...

I'm starting to wonder if she was already dead? Not that it helps. But, sleeping on the ground with her head down and neck outstretched? Not sure I've ever seen a live chicken do that, but I have found dead chickens in that pose.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

The IR sensor is like the "safety eyes" on most garage door openers. They shoot a beam across the opening and will prevent the door from closing (or will cause it to reverse direction) if something breaks the beam. My problem was the standard bracket height - which is ideal for chickens that are standing or walking through the opening - was too high to detect just their flattened out necks as they lay across the threshold. It was the confluence of events that lead to the perfect storm. I've never seen any of my girls nap ON the threshold. If they'd been awake, they most certainly would have moved. I'm tempted to post the video as you can see the rest of the girls on the perches startled and were very attentive to the door noise. Unfortunately for Brownie, she must have been sleeping a bit too deep...

Re your words you are "tempted to post the video. " You are in the emergencies forum, and some very tragic and gory photos do get posted here. No reason to post if it's only to sadly see a chicken die. But if you think it will in any way be helpful to others and possibly prevent similiar future occurences, definitely go ahead and post.

 

[Swbertrand1]

The IR sensor is like the "safety eyes" on most garage door openers. They shoot a beam across the opening and will prevent the door from closing (or will cause it to reverse direction) if something breaks the beam. My problem was the standard bracket height - which is ideal for chickens that are standing or walking through the opening - was too high to detect just their flattened out necks as they lay across the threshold. It was the confluence of events that lead to the perfect storm. I've never seen any of my girls nap ON the threshold. If they'd been awake, they most certainly would have moved. I'm tempted to post the video as you can see the rest of the girls on the perches startled and were very attentive to the door noise. Unfortunately for Brownie, she must have been sleeping a bit too deep...

That's kinda what I figured, that it's a fail-safe to protect whatever might be in the way of the door should it come down. I happy that you feel like you've got the adjustment issue corrected; I'd hate to hear of you losing another bird to a door!

For what it's worth, I keep thinking about the low light you've created for part of the exterior of the coop area (I think there is an awning involved). We don't have extra light outside of our coop, save a few lights around the yard, and the interior lights of the coop are quite bright, creating a beacon essentially for the birds to navigate toward at dusk. Yours might go up more easily if they have that beacon too without the low-light outside if you can make that work with them getting off the awning that required the outside light in the first place - something to think about I suppose...

 

[Swbertrand1]

Re your words you are "tempted to post the video. " You are in the emergencies forum, and some very tragic and gory photos do get posted here. No reason to post if it's only to sadly see a chicken die. But if you think it will in any way be helpful to others and possibly prevent similiar future occurences, definitely go ahead and post.

I don't see value in that as I think we can all pretty much visualize the before and after the OP experienced. A video of a "dummy" chicken, on the other hand, lying under the IR beam allowing the door to come down anyway might be educational for folks using the same brand of system...

 

[demonic]

Sorry to revive an old thread (especially as my first post), but I just suffered from this tragic event myself. I was using a generic (Chinese) closer from eBay. It has an IR safety beam that will prevent the closure if something is breaking the beam. Unfortunately, I had the beam set about two inches above the threshold and about 2" in front of the exterior of the door.

WHile the door take about 30 seconds to close, and is quite noisy, last night one of my easter eggers decided to take a nap with her head laying out of the threshold. When the door activated, it did not wake her (it usually causes all of them to stir). The door came all the way down, and didn't wake her until it was too late for her to pull back. The door closed with less than 1/8" gap at the bottom, so I know it was a quick death.

What's even more heartbreaking is that I added these two easter eggers about 10 weeks ago to my flock. They were naturally smaller, and got bullied quite a bit - so the two of them have been inseparable. They went everywhere together, joined at the hip. If you picked up one, the other would stay in your shadow. Now the other is all alone. My 6 and 8yo kids are devastated.

I have cameras in the coop and run, so the even was captured. I would post the video, but being this is my first post, I do not want to upset anyone.

So sad to hear that. Easter Eggers are my soft spot

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

I don't see value in that as I think we can all pretty much visualize the before and after the OP experienced. A video of a "dummy" chicken, on the other hand, lying under the IR beam allowing the door to come down anyway might be educational for folks using the same brand of system...

I agree that yes, its easy to visualize the chicken sleeping in the path of the door as door came down and killed the chicken. No desire or need to see that. But i personally have never used an automatic coop door, and am thinking many others havent either. I havent fully understood your back and forth discussion with the OP. (Maybe i would understand if i had an auto door). Anyway, the OP mentioned TWice re thinking about posting the video to show how it happened. After the second mention, thats when i made my comment. Otherwise ive been reading yall's discussion silently and trying to follow/visualize the beam (mis)placement.

 

[erkme73]

As long as those that are easily disturbed and offended can avoid viewing, I suppose posting the link may benefit those with interest in seeing how it happened. With that said, please use discretion.

The two "inseparable" Easter eggers huddled together everywhere - sleeping, walking, grazing... So when one is down on the floor, so is the other. Fortunately, only the one had its head past the threshold. When the door comes down, it's quite obvious she was still very much alive. The only reason they weren't up on the perches with the older, bigger birds is because they were still being bullied (they'd only been together for about 3 weeks).

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

The video was very sad to watch, & i am very sorry. I do think the video drives home the importance of making sure an auto coop door is correctly set. (Same as a camera recording a predator breaking in and killing chickens shows the absolute necessity of predator-proofing a coop.)

I re-read this thread after watching the video, If i ever get an auto door, will definitely remember @Swbertrand1 's input that the auto door Must close BEfore interior coop lights go out, so that chickens can see to move away from the door. @erkme73 , hindsight is 20/20, but i dont know how you could have possibly foreseen the accident, i.e. that Brownie would choose to sleep where she did. Your first ever post(s) on byc are very important, and will likely save the lives of other chickens. Again, very sorry for your family's loss, & hoping that Brownie's friend adjusts ok.