I have an ADOR chicken door and thought maybe it is time I wrote a review. I've had it since around July 20th, 2014. First off, I LOVE this door, it is peace of mind, easy to install, sturdy, attractive, and functions beautifully!!! Best $200 I ever spent!
I installed mine on the inside of my coop with the optional outside light sensor because we are still working on the outside of the coop. I programmed it myself and installed it myself, my husband seemed very impressed so ssshhh, we shouldn’t tell him a monkey with a screwdriver could install it, it’s so easy. I mean really, all you do is put the door over the opening and screw it into place!
I set the timer to open earlier and stay open later, plus have it open again for 5 min a second time in the evening for stragglers. So far I’ve had no stragglers, but I’ll leave it programmed like that just in case it is ever needed.
The door has worked almost flawlessly. The only problem I have had was during a super duper bad storm that made it so dark out in the middle of the day that the sensor thought it was night and closed the door. Then, after the storm blew through, the sensor told the door to open back up because it was light.
It wouldn’t be too big of a deal except for the winds were 70 miles an hour and blew hundreds of trees down, lightening hit a tree ½ mile from my house and caused a forest fire that was blowing our way, not to mention a power outage. The chickens were shut out of the chicken coop through the storm. However, my neighbor found them huddled up inside of our very large shed that use to be a chicken coop (former owners chicken coop), and has a chicken door that is always open. The flock found refuge in that old coop.
A week later we had another unbelievable storm that knocked down hundreds of trees, wide spread power outages and tons of fires. The door did the same thing as it did in the last storm. Granted these were unprecedented storms, very rare and it got very dark out. So, I am not worried about these fluke incidents. In fact, during the power outage the door was wonderful to have. And I was very glad that it was on a battery since we had no power. I don’t think I’ll have trouble with early shutting during our dark and gloomy winter, but if I do, I’ll use a light on the sensor to activate the door.
Recently, I happen to be outside when the door opened at dawn. My coop has big windows so I can see inside, as soon as the door started opening, it signaled my chickens to get up! It was like it was their alarm clock. I thought it was funny......no snooze for you my feathered friends, get your fluffy bottoms off of that roost and go to work, you have nothing to do and nowhere to go, and all day to get there, so get to it!
Everybody I know who has chickens loves this door and is planning on buying one. It is a hit. Once again, best $200 I ever spent.
We had a new coop built for our flock of six. The Ador door was installed a couple weeks ago and has been working perfectly on auto setting. We allowed the ladies to start sleeping in the coop last Thursday. Having a heck of a time getting them all in at night. One of them has been shut out three nights in a row, but we when we manually re-opened the door for her, she went in after a fashion. Leaving town for 10 days Thursday -- these birds need to get with the program! Today, I took the the instructions into the coop, and unscrewed the cover to enable the last call option. For the life of me, I cannot get that cover off! What am I doing wrong? Here it is unscrewed (with Sweetie supervising -- she's the one who keeps getting locked out!)
And here it is unscrewed and lifted apx 1/8" .
