Automatic Chicken Door

[Just Don]

What if the sky falls I'M not chicken little!
I'll have them a run I won't free range. If I'M not paying attention to my chickens enough to see that there losing weight then I don't need chickens. Brooding chickens won't be in my coop. Maybe it's not reliable with your chickens but I don't mind managing mine I will keep an eye on them and don't think spending a $100 bucks on a door opener is worth it myself. My pen will be very secure, but I'll still have a door for the coop.. After hearing about people chickens getting killed by these guillotines automatic doors don't sound good either. This is just my opinion.
What if your electricity goes off or a chicken is sleeping under the guillotines door?
I know a long shot right...

What happens if a hen gets broody and goes to sleep in a nestbox? Or one hen suddenly prefers to sleep in a tree? What if all you're chickens loose or gain a little weight? It’s really a clever system but don't think it is reliable with my chickens.The chicken guard I made between the coop and the run /garden has proven to work correct after adjusting the closing ‘time’ (lumen). It certainly is more reliable then I am. Often not around at closing time or forgetting the time when buzzy. And I am glad the pop door closes automatically if e.g. a hen decided to sleep in a nest box.

 

[Just Don]

Has any one though about starting a thread just on chicken poop stories.. lol I seen the discussion on several thread I was just wondering and also I'M kidding around..
I know I know poop happens..

 

[Kluk-Kluk]

What if your electricity goes off or a chicken is sleeping under the guillotines door?

My door runs on batteries. The 4 AA batteries have lasted 17 months - and they're still good. And considering there's nice soft places to lie down, no chicken would lie down under the door since all the other chickens going in and out would make her move. Besides, it's uncomfortable there.

 

[BDutch]

What if the sky falls I'M not chicken little!
I'll have them a run I won't free range. If I'M not paying attention to my chickens enough to see that there losing weight then I don't need chickens. Brooding chickens won't be in my coop. Maybe it's not reliable with your chickens but I don't mind managing mine I will keep an eye on them and don't think spending a $100 bucks on a door opener is worth it myself. My pen will be very secure, but I'll still have a door for the coop.. After hearing about people chickens getting killed by these guillotines automatic doors don't sound good either. This is just my opinion.
What if your electricity goes off or a chicken is sleeping under the guillotines door?
I know a long shot right...

@Just Don, Do you use the system that closes on the weight of you're roosting chickens? And you never had issues with it? Or are you closing the pop door between the coop and the secure pen yourself?

I believe you take care of you’re chickens very well. But I believe you have other chickens and other circumstances. That's why I think its safe for my chickens to open the run/safe pen to the garden when I am at home. I believe it is healthy for chickens to free range at times there are no predators around (never lost a chicken free ranging and never lost a chicken because of health problems in 5 years)

I understand you can prevent a chicken going broody. How? I think that is impossible with my girls. I can stop them being broody. But not prevent them to get broody. Maybe you have a breed that doesn’t feel the urge to breed and hatch chicks?

Do you measure the weight of you’re chickens weekly? I don't. I just look to see if they are all right. So far this works fine with me. But I do see that they individual are changing in weight sometimes.

I have a pop door between the larger run/safe pen and the coop too. But I rely on my system in the first place and check if they are all in the coop when it's (getting) dark (if I am home). My chicken guard works on batteries just as @kluk kluk. The chicken guard gives a warning (flashing light) if the batteries are almost flat.

 

[BDutch]

Has any one though about starting a thread just on chicken poop stories.. lol I seen the discussion on several thread I was just wondering and also I'M kidding around..
I know I know poop happens..

You can make you're own thread of course. Might be fun.

 

[Rushdoggie]

Like others I am am surprised your door killed a chicken! What was the door made of and is it on a system where it just drops down?

I have a Chickenguard which is run off of AA batteries. It has a very thing string that winds and unwinds with the motor and lifts a lightweight door that I am pretty sure wouldn't seriously hurt a bird if it landed right on them. it has a weird little L shaped lift mechanism that drops into a slot when closed so its locked, and as it opens it pulls the locks in then pulls up the door.

It has a light sensor that you can adjust the sensitivity of and a timer feature, and you can use either or both.

I noticed since I installed the door, the girls get up to bed long before dark. When I closed it myself sometimes they dawdled hoping for pets or treats from us if they saw us come out.

I pretty much always double check the door and peek in and count heads in the evening when I let the dogs out, but its nice to know if I don't make it home before it gets dark they are secured, and also the bratty girls would start to call for me to open the door in the morning and I live in suburbia. Since their door opens at the same amount of light every day they know when it will open and don't make noise anymore.

It was also awesome when I was out of town, all my petsitter had to do was collect eggs and check the feeders and make sure it was closed when she let the dogs out in the evening.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Maybe it's not reliable with your chickens but I don't mind managing mine I will keep an eye on them and don't think spending a $100 bucks on a door opener is worth it myself.

Just going to point out, many folks who have auto doors have no issue opening and closing pop doors most of the time. I manually opened and closed mine for two years. I had a neighbor come over and do that too on the one and only vacation we've taken since getting chickens. But it sure is nice having an option that works even if I happen to not be home at dusk, or if I happen to wake up late, or God forbid, I go on another 4 day trip. And that to me makes it worth it to install one.

But I never assume the auto door is infallible and I check twice each evening via coop cam (or just going out there if the camera isn't starting up) to make sure everyone is in and settled.

 

[Just Don]

I was just pointing out another option that I though was cool and was tongue in check on the other stuff.

 

[BDutch]

I was just pointing out another option that I though was cool and was tongue in check on the other stuff.

Yes, great idea but I think this can fail too. See my questions in:

What happens if a hen gets broody and goes to sleep in a nestbox? Or one hen suddenly prefers to sleep in a tree? What if all you're chickens loose or gain a little weight?
It’s really a clever system but don't think it is reliable with my chickens.

 

[Just Don]

I don't think I ever said I used one or meant to apply that I do yes every thing has it's draw back.. It's a neat ideal some people can't afford $160+ for a automatic door or would rather buy more chickens with those funds lol.. I wasn't meaning any one don't take care of there chickens and I don't have any at this moment but I'M building up to that since I just retired from traveling full time 9 years in our 5th wheel and bought in the country. So currently I'M not weighting my chickens but I did reply to the persons questions about it which I figured they where kidding around.

@Just Don, Do you use the system that closes on the weight of you're roosting chickens? And you never had issues with it? Or are you closing the pop door between the coop and the secure pen yourself?
I believe you take care of you’re chickens very well. But I believe you have other chickens and other circumstances. That's why I think its safe for my chickens to open the run/safe pen to the garden when I am at home. I believe it is healthy for chickens to free range at times there are no predators around (never lost a chicken free ranging and never lost a chicken because of health problems in 5 years)
I understand you can prevent a chicken going broody. How? I think that is impossible with my girls. I can stop them being broody. But not prevent them to get broody. Maybe you have a breed that doesn’t feel the urge to breed and hatch chicks?
Do you measure the weight of you’re chickens weekly? I don't. I just look to see if they are all right. So far this works fine with me. But I do see that they individual are changing in weight sometimes.
I have a pop door between the larger run/safe pen and the coop too. But I rely on my system in the first place and check if they are all in the coop when it's (getting) dark (if I am home). My chicken guard works on batteries just as @kluk kluk. The chicken guard gives a warning (flashing light) if the batteries are almost flat.