Automatic Chicken Coop Doors

[Fourgirlsoneboy]

For those of you who own one- how predator proof are they? I would think a racoon could just slide the door up (does it lock in place?)!

 

[hokankai]

I know the one I just purchased closes inside of the frame, so there's no way little fingers can pry underneath it. the weight of the door also prevents that as well.

 

[dldolan]

So, is there an automatic closer for the bigger fence-gate of the run? My henhouse is completely inside the totally fenced in run, and so I don't need a small door opener/closer like the ones i see pictured, but a gate closer/opener for the run, so if they are out in the garden in the evening, the gate will close after they have gone to bed. (Just a precaution as I usually lock and chain the gate, but you never know...) No electric out there, BTW. Anything solar someone has used??

I just put in some solar spotlights and love those for visibility at night when I go out!

 

[Fourgirlsoneboy]

What kind do you have?
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[Happy Chooks]

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Mine is the same and it's from Foy's. It also completely closes below the door opening, so there's nowhere for critters to grab on to. I've had it for 1 1/2 years and no problems. Just recently changed the batteries, just in case.

 

[Green_Eggs_and_Ham]

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Mine is the same and it's from Foy's. It also completely closes below the door opening, so there's nowhere for critters to grab on to. I've had it for 1 1/2 years and no problems. Just recently changed the batteries, just in case.

I have the Addamotor. It's called a D20. I hear the other one, D80 is only for curtains. The D20 is specifically for chicken coops and they say they won't honor the warranty if you use the D80 outdoors. Got it at Discount Automation.http://www.discounthomeautomation.com/Add-A-Motor-Chicken-Coop-Motor-AAD20 They had it in stock and shipped it immediately. They don't have a phone number, which made me a bit weary, but they did respond quickly to email. They told me about the warranty stuff. I made sure they had one before I ordered it.

The Foy's one, if I remember, was the whole door installation kit? I think it came complete with a door?? We didn't need all that, just the motor. But I hear it's a good one if you need the whole package.

I saw someone posted that they got an addamotor one for $86... that was the curtain one. (Believe me, we did our homework first). Always leery of web ordering.

Anyhow, ... mine has been installed for about 4 months now. Never a single glitch. Bought a $10 timer at Lowes, as all the fancy ones on the sites do the same thing anyway. Worked exactly as I had hoped from day 1. We have a metal door and it slides below the threshold a couple inches so the raccoons cannot get their hands under it. After a couple weeks, they've moved on... they'd rather go swimming in our neighbor's pool. (They actually take his pool cleaner OUT of the pool because it gets in their way!!!!!)

Good luck!

 

[Happy Chooks]

The Foy's one you can get with or without the door kit.

 

[lacasitarojafarm]

I have had this installed for about a month now and it works like a CHARM! My husband loves it. I love it. It was totally worth the money. I have the inside installed metal door and it slides down and critters can't get fingers under and the wieght of the metal door prevents it too. With that and the electric fence we have not had one raccoon or weasel death since they were installed. We did lose two chickens to an eagle but neither of those could have prevented that. It was in broad daylight.

We can't say enough about the automatic doors. We love 'em.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

My issue with the vertical doors that only use gravity to close (i.e., no locking mechanisms) is that a crafty raccoon still might be able to get inside even if there aren't any openings or if the door is heavy. They say anything that a 5 year old can open, a coon can too. They are very crafty and very strong, and have about 8+ hours a night... every night, to try to figure things out.

That's why I put a locking pin in my homemade chicken coop door and why I got the pullet-shut door (since the direct drive motor won't let the door open / close without activation).

 

[hokankai]

My issue with the vertical doors that only use gravity to close (i.e., no locking mechanisms) is that a crafty raccoon still might be able to get inside even if there aren't any openings or if the door is heavy. They say anything that a 5 year old can open, a coon can too. They are very crafty and very strong, and have about 8+ hours a night... every night, to try to figure things out.

That's why I put a locking pin in my homemade chicken coop door and why I got the pullet-shut door (since the direct drive motor won't let the door open / close without activation).

Making the run sturdy enough to keep coons out should eliminate this problem. With my design at least if the coon can't get into the run, he can't even touch the door, and the run is Fort Knox worthy. If he manages to break into the run AND lift a door with no grip, then his ingenuity deserves a chicken! haha​