You can buy linear actuators online (amazon, ebay, etc.) for about $50.
The actuators can be used to push and pull the door open and closed. Chickens don't need a huge door opening, so I wouldn't bother with anything over about 10" to 12". And if you get your mounting angles configured...
Pardon my drawing, but here is what i mean by installing an actuator under your coop to push the door open. You could mount it on the outside, but mounting it underneath might better protect it from the elements.
A linear actuator and some relay switches would work nicely. The wiring diagrams can seem a little intimidating, but if you take your time and pay attention, it's not hard to wire them up correctly. I would mount the linear actuator under your coop and have it push the door open and pull it...
I have an automatic door.
On several occasions, I've heard of folks talk about the perceived danger of the door injuring a bird. I chuckle. When you compare the number of birds that have been injured by auto-doors (I'm still waiting to hear about one single bird caught in a door) as compared...
1. You could tie a string to the end of your antenna and use a pulley to guide the string into place so it would pull your door up.
2. But, yes, a linear actuator would also work just fine to open your door. IMHO, it is a bit more complicated because those require additional wiring, but the...
I don't have a solar panel, but I would think a 5 watt panel would work just fine. I think it is large enough to recharge the battery, but not so large that you would need a regulator (the solar experts can chime in, but that's what my internet research tells me).
And about the antenna being...
You can always just put a cinder block under the bottom rung to help reduce the angle. The older chickens will probably never even use the bottom rungs (mine don't...they just jump halfway up the ramp).
You said coop & run. Do you plan to convert this shed into both a coop & a run? I always think of a coop as being the inside piece (where they sleep) and the run as being the outside piece (where they spend most of the day).
The rule of thumb is approximately 4 square feet of coop space...
Weight could very well be the issue.
Any chance you can unhook the door from the antenna and run it up and down? That might help isolate the weight issue.
In case anybody reads this:
I presume you are talking about amp hours? Amp hours simply means the battery will last longer. Amp hours measures capacity. Essentially, how long will the battery put out 12 volts.
These car antennas use less than 1 amp per hour. So, if the antenna is...
Over the years, we've had a few "interesting" names:
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Stir-fry & Nugget
Nine-ten (we got her at the same time we got our first chicks, and she was a grown hen...hence, she was referred to as the big fat hen).
The newbies: Elizabuff, Queen of Eggland (Buff...
I'm curious of the outcome, too.
In the interest of others that might one day read this thread, I will add my two cents: "chickens will eat almost anything." Therefore, I don't think I'd sweat it too much...especially if they are full sized chickens (chicks require a lil more care, but...
Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I'm having a hard time getting prices from Poultry Hollow (phone, text, email, website, etc.) Can any of you share with me approximately what they charge for 5 week old chicks and 6 month old pullets?
Thanks.
I have some of these. Interesting enough, a local store carries them, but you can probably find them on Ebay or on some of the pheasant dog or pigeon sites.
Mine don't screw on. They are the exact same ones pictured above. They just sorta slide in there. I haven't had any real issues...
To take some of the wobble out of your structure, you might want to build your roosts in the corners or get some turnbuckles.
A scrap piece of wood can also work (you simply wrap your wire around the board and twist the board to snug up the wire (sorta like those toy airplanes with the rubber...
Sure.
I have sand and I will sometimes just lay down newspaper. Then the whole thing just gets tossed in my compost pile. Most of time, i don't put anything down and simply scoop the coop with a kitty litter scoop (4 chickens don't take too much time).