Auto coop doors!

[Driley62]

So I'm looking more intently at auto coop doors. Thing is I have no idea which one is right for me. Looking for the best at the best price(I know I'm cheap). I'm not super crafty to fashion my own honestly...I've looked into the idea and I can't wrap my head around making one.

So im asking the community, which one is the best at the best price? I live in northern ny where our "average" winter temps are anywhere between 25 and 32 for a high and 0-15 for a low with some days and nights with wind chill reaching as low as -20 to -40. So needless to say battery isn't exactly a idea that's off the table but also makes me uneasy in case of charge failure or mechanism failure because of the extreme temps. I do not have power ran to the coop nor do I think I can bury wire to run electrical to it with the amount of bedrock on my property.

Needless to say...im in a pickle. Also I have no damn clue which one is the best choice. Like the idea mostly for late home arrivals or a short stretch of out of town excursions(couple days).

 

[Smileybans]

These are two of the ones I was looking at getting. They aren’t cheap but the predator load is high near me and I need something that racoons can’t just open. https://adorstore.com/products/ador1-automatic-chicken-door
https://chickendoors.com/product/standard-pullet-shut-chicken-door-trickle-combination/

I do have this one on my bantam coop but it’s string operated. The door can be lifted from the outside by crafty animals. So I have hardware cloth surrounding that coops door. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018KGEXMG?tag=timelinepets-20&geniuslink=true

 

[Driley62]

These are two of the ones I was looking at getting. They aren’t cheap but the predator load is high near me and I need something that racoons can’t just open. https://adorstore.com/products/ador1-automatic-chicken-door
https://chickendoors.com/product/standard-pullet-shut-chicken-door-trickle-combination/

I do have this one on my bantam coop but it’s string operated. The door can be lifted from the outside by crafty animals. So I have hardware cloth surrounding that coops door. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018KGEXMG?tag=timelinepets-20&geniuslink=true

How does the titan one hold up in our temps? Did you have to make your own door? I'm interested in that as I have a fully secured run mine stay in because or predators.

 

[Chick-Mahal]

So I'm looking more intently at auto coop doors. Thing is I have no idea which one is right for me. Looking for the best at the best price(I know I'm cheap). I'm not super crafty to fashion my own honestly...I've looked into the idea and I can't wrap my head around making one.

So im asking the community, which one is the best at the best price? I live in northern ny where our "average" winter temps are anywhere between 25 and 32 for a high and 0-15 for a low with some days and nights with wind chill reaching as low as -20 to -40. So needless to say battery isn't exactly a idea that's off the table but also makes me uneasy in case of charge failure or mechanism failure because of the extreme temps. I do not have power ran to the coop nor do I think I can bury wire to run electrical to it with the amount of bedrock on my property.

Needless to say...im in a pickle. Also I have no damn clue which one is the best choice. Like the idea mostly for late home arrivals or a short stretch of out of town excursions(couple days).

I have one a Brinsea Ckick Safe door opener. It is operated on a string attached to the door. It works well but rainy days not so good for dusk to dawn. I plan on setting specific times for the door to open and close. I am close to inner city but woods behind me so I have double fencing, 2 X 4 fence with chicken wire over it then an electric fence 3 ft away. Netting over top of run as well. I also have a motion camera in case the local predators come by. My hound dog's pen is about 10 ft away from my run/coop area so she does a great job warding off critters too.

 

[Smileybans]

How does the titan one hold up in our temps? Did you have to make your own door? I'm interested in that as I have a fully secured run mine stay in because or predators.

I bought the coop from someone farther up north than me. They had the coop for four years, with the auto door the whole time, and it still works for me. They had built the coop themselves so the door is custom. But I would assume you would have to make your own door. I’ll try and get pics of the door later today.

 

[tigger19687]

There are several threads on Auto doors. I suggest you read through those doing a search.
There are only so few to buy and they have all been discussed here before.

Hint... you get what you pay for. Spend the money

 

[Driley62]

I have one a Brinsea Ckick Safe door opener. It is operated on a string attached to the door. It works well but rainy days not so good for dusk to dawn. I plan on setting specific times for the door to open and close. I am close to inner city but woods behind me so I have double fencing, 2 X 4 fence with chicken wire over it then an electric fence 3 ft away. Netting over top of run as well. I also have a motion camera in case the local predators come by. My hound dog's pen is about 10 ft away from my run/coop area so she does a great job warding off critters too.

How does the battery hold up in our type of weather. You being in NH you have very similar climate to me.

There are several threads on Auto doors. I suggest you read through those doing a search.
There are only so few to buy and they have all been discussed here before.

Hint... you get what you pay for. Spend the money

I get that. What im concerned with is just my area climate. I could go extreme and spend a disgusting amount of money. But I've done that in the past and found out I coulda purchased something else and spent 1/3 of that and accomplish the same. Mainly reaching out to see what holds up well in my environment and what doesn't. Not looking for say a $20 Chinese knockoff that isn't worth its weight in crap, but don't want to spend a sickening amount of money. If you get what I mean.

 

[RojoMarz]

How does the battery hold up in our type of weather. You being in NH you have very similar climate to me.

I get that. What im concerned with is just my area climate. I could go extreme and spend a disgusting amount of money. But I've done that in the past and found out I coulda purchased something else and spent 1/3 of that and accomplish the same. Mainly reaching out to see what holds up well in my environment and what doesn't. Not looking for say a $20 Chinese knockoff that isn't worth its weight in crap, but don't want to spend a sickening amount of money. If you get what I mean.

I have the Ador and am in the high mountains of Colorado. We get snow . My Ador has been running on the original lantern battery that shipped with the door, for over a year. I did purchase a replacement battery at Walmart, not too long ago. Just in case the battery gives out soon, I'd have one on hand. I had no issue with the door during the winter. Worked great...it is under a covered run, so some what protected.

 

[Smileybans]

This is the door on my banty coop. It’s the only one currently with an auto opener. Baby is peeking to say hello.

 

[iwltfum]

I have three chicken guard extreme doors and swear by them. Any door that works will be a life changer for sure. I highly recommend getting one installed