Any opinions on this automatic door opener?

[ADozenGirlz]

Quote:
We have the one from Foy's. You're right that it seems complicated on the Foy's website, but it's really NOT.
It comes with a timer, we didn't buy the light sensor. It uses four AA batteries for the motor and one C battery for the timer. It was SUPER simple to install, no electrical knowledge required other than how to put the batteries in the thing!
You can see ours here in the background above the pop door. The green unit above the metal door is the door's motor and the box to the right of that is the timer. Super simple. It doesn't require any outside source of electricity wired to it. My husband installed it in no time. Highly recommend it!

 

[KybraBoss]

I gather that the sensor is a light sensor to operate the doors at sundown and sunup,
I first thought it was talking about a motion sensor, which would just make it like the auto door at McDonalds for predators

 

[TipsyDog]

Quote:

I have the same thing ADozenGirlz has, just without the timer. I orginally wanted the timer too, but opted for the sensor because I'm not capable of resetting the timer as the seasons wear on. I guess I have to admit that I really have no idea when dawn is as I haven't seen one in 20 years so I opted for the sensor because I honestly wouldn't know when to set the timer for!

Anyway, that was my reasoning plus I figured I could always add the timer later if I wasn't happy with the sensor since it's not cheap! I'm sure both setups work very well so it's just a personal choice.


Good luck!

 

[WoodlandWoman]

We bought the one with the light sensor, too, so we wouldn't have to constantly reset the time it closed. There's also a little screw you can turn, to adjust the light sensitivity on the probe, in case it's opening too early or late. I like it that it closes very slowly, too. Plenty of time for a chicken to scoot in or out of the way, while they are getting used to it.

 

[Schroeder]

I have the Foy's unit too. I agree with everything TipsyDog says. I have the timer and the photo sensor both. During the winter I had it set to open every morning at 8:30, figuring there was no reason to let cold air in the coop any earlier. It would close at dark via the sensor. Once feather plucking started I decided the fewer hours they were stuck in the coop, the better. I have since disabled the timer and use the sensor exclusively. It takes very little light to open it. Maybe 10 minutes before sunrise. It needs to be pretty dark to close, sometime shortly after sunset. My chickens always settle back in the coop at least a half hour before the door closes. I doubt I'll use the timer any more.

 

[Tecalli]

Ok, I am sold on these recommendations for Foy's as well. For those of you who have them, how did you go about deciding on an inside or outside opener? My coop looks like this and my pop door opens out on the side.

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Quote:
Our coop looks similar to yours (pop door opens out as well) and we have ours electronic doorkeeper on the inside. I just didn't want any parts out in the elements. It doesn't take up any useable space inside the coop as the operating units hang on the wall.

Our coop (before we built a run and added chickens!):

Doorkeeper visible in background:

 

[Happy Chooks]

I too have the door opener and door from Foys and I love it! No timer, just the light sensor. (which is adjustable) I chose the inside mount also for keeping it out of the weather.

 

[gryeyes]

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Ditto. I bought mine second-hand from another BYC member. The timer was included, but I'm only using the light sensor.

I went all OCD on the instructions, but finally just trusted my own instincts and put it together just fine. I had it running inside the new coop as I was building it, to check its operation. When I finished the coop and moved the Big Chickens into it, it only took two nights for the chickens to figure out the new coop was now "home" and to go in by themselves. Only ONE hen was left outside one early night; she was my usual late girl. She spent that night under the coop, where I couldn't reach her, but the very next night and every one since, she's made it inside well before the door closes, ever so slowly.

Even the 2 Cayuga ducks decided they wanted to sleep in the new coop; they used to wander the run quite late at night and would settle down inside the enclosed bottom pen of the A-Frame coop... which I had to go out and close up to secure them. Then one night, they went into the new coop, and have done so every night since. Well before the door closes.

I love it! Here's a view of it while I was finishing up the coop.

 

[kittyacid]

You guys were RIGHT!!!! I bought the one with the light sensor from Foy's and I love it.

It was not difficult at all to install, though I made it a little harder by trying to over think everything, but oh my gosh, I love this. I had a bit of a time pulling the trigger because of the cost, but it is worth every penny!! I don't know how I ever lived without it and thanks for all of the input and photos!