Power outage with chicken door

[rv8air]

Since we just moved our chickens to our second home in the country, we would like to install an automatic door on our coop, as we are absent from the property during the week. We have an auto feeder and waterer, and an automatic door seems like an essential thing for our birds. Since we're gone a lot, what can be done to guard against a power or mechanical failure? I imagine having two doors for redundancy would be a good idea, but doing so, doubles the cost. What say you all?

 

[BayBay Peepers]

If you don't want to worry about a mechanical door I would leave it open to a run. I have a chicken sized door cut out of a regular door that leads to a covered run. That way they can move about a bit if I don't get out there as early as they'd like. I have a ramp that can fold up to close the door for severe weather as an option, but I've never closed it.

Will you always be away from them for the weekdays? That's an awfully long time to leave them unattended, repeatedly.

 

[tcstoehr]

There are commercially available auto-chicken-doors on the market. I'd recommend an Ador1 because of it's steel construction, self-contained internal battery, compactness, and solid gear drive. Power outage is no problem. Other folks on this forum swear by their Pullet-shut models. But I think those require an external 12V power supply either from a solar panel or trickle charger.

 

[rv8air]

Our girls' coop opens to a 20x40 fenced yard of their own. So, they're not exactly free range. I am concerned about being gone a lot, but we have no choice. Wings are clipped so they can't fly, and they can't run more than 40 feet in any direction. Predators are a concern. Since we're gone for several days each week, I was also concerned they might get trapped inside if a door became stuck closed.

 

[Volcanic Egger]

I have the same set of circumstances and I use the Ador door from the Ador door Store. What a crazy name but it works great. I do consider leaving it open to the run which is very well secured against our varmints in the mountains. But the door is another layer of protection for the flock at night. I also keep their auto feeder and auto waterer in the coop just in case they get locked in.