Auto doors.

[Lulu-vt]

There are so many posts that I’m feeling overwhelmed. I’m building a coop and want an auto door so we can travel without having a “chicken sitter”. That seems like a dream!!

Does this exist? An auto door that runs on solar but uses batteries as a backup in case of cloudy days (lots here in vermont)?

As a plan B…(in case that’s too expensive), a door that uses batteries that is very reliable and easy to install.

Is one door better than another?

 

[Chicklette6678]

I didn’t have very good luck with a cheap battery powered door, or with daylight sensors since the door was in the shade. What has worked is buying extensions for the solar panel so I could move it around the yard when needed. And the controller is either sunlight or timer. I use the timer function and whenever the seasons change, I’ll have to adjust the timer for a day or two to align with their new sleeping schedule. Door is about $70 bucks on Amazon- they’re pretty much the same model with different branding.

 

[Lulu-vt]

I didn’t have very good luck with a cheap battery powered door, or with daylight sensors since the door was in the shade. What has worked is buying extensions for the solar panel so I could move it around the yard when needed. And the controller is either sunlight or timer. I use the timer function and whenever the seasons change, I’ll have to adjust the timer for a day or two to align with their new sleeping schedule. Door is about $70 bucks on Amazon- they’re pretty much the same model with different branding.

I have never used solar panels before so I have basically no knowledge of how to use them (besides a basic understanding). Solar panels would need to be charged and if there is no electricity connection, you’d use a battery? And then what charges the battery?

 

[Lils Roost]

I've had an automatic door for a whole 3 weeks and loving it. Solar with battery back up. It's worked flawlessly so far. We'll see how it works over time. I'm in CT. There is a lot of sun where my coop is. But, I couldn't be happier. I got a Ladies First and while it was more pricey than others ($180 ish), it's well worth the money. I have it set to sunup / sundown. And as I said, flawlessly.

 

[Chicklette6678]

I have never used solar panels before so I have basically no knowledge of how to use them (besides a basic understanding). Solar panels would need to be charged and if there is no electricity connection, you’d use a battery? And then what charges the battery?

This is the controller/solar charger that came with the unit. Above the red and green buttons, there’s a connection where you can charge it with a usb cable. I charge the unit indoors first, and it has kept up with the outside solar after. Only time I’ve had to battery top off is if the panel is accidentally faced down on the ground for whatever reason for a couple days. With the extensions, I’ve probably got 25’ of cord to move the charger chasing the sun. I rarely have to move it though- it stays charged even with a little bit of shade.

 

[Lulu-vt]

View attachment 3888669
This is the controller/solar charger that came with the unit. Above the red and green buttons, there’s a connection where you can charge it with a usb cable. I charge the unit indoors first, and it has kept up with the outside solar after. Only time I’ve had to battery top off is if the panel is accidentally faced down on the ground for whatever reason for a couple days. With the extensions, I’ve probably got 25’ of cord to move the charger chasing the sun. I rarely have to move it though- it stays charged even with a little bit of shade.

 

[Lulu-vt]

Thanks so much for the explanation. Couple of questions…can you link this solar panel? Where did you get it? How often to you need to charge it? What happens if it’s cloudy…like for days on end? Last winter we had 70 days with zero sun. I mean, I’m sure there was sun but it was tucked behind a very dense layer of clouds!! It was awful. I just don’t know if solar would work for that situation. So you also use a battery backup for your door if the solar panel fails?

 

[Chicklette6678]

Amazon link
I have two of these. I’ve charged it twice in over the year that I’ve had it. Basically bc of my errors with not having it in a good spot (added a canopy over panel are and forgot to move it, second I had closed the door for cleaning and forgot to place the solar panel side back up). It’s stayed charged with about a week of cloudy rain but 70 days would probably be a stretch. My chickens are looked after daily so I would notice pretty quickly if the door wasn’t operating correctly. If you have a jackery, or even a $20 phone battery charger, you could use those out there to top off the charge. I struggle with keeping my solar lights charged and found it’s easiest to connect one of these for a couple hours every 3-4 days.

 

[RojoMarz]

We have an Ador pop door and it works great. It runs on a lantern battery and the battery lasts about 18 months (in Colorado...) The door has a sensor to open/close. The door is mounted facing into a run that is fully covered and wrapped in white plastic year round. The door has no issues opening or closing as it should,

 

[El Padre eGGers]

I have a Run Chicken door that works off batteries only, had it for 3 months so far. It's working great, easy to install and set up, either on a light senor for open/close or you can set it to open/close by time. This was a base model. They do sell a solar powered model that has battery backup as an option....it was a little pricey. Based on my experience so far, I'd definitely by the Run Chicken door again. Hope that is useful.