Hi everyone,
Like many here, I wanted to put a door on my chicken coop that open in the morning & close in the evening to keep out predators. I searched the web, I read through the 20+ page threads here, I did the research & just didn't find anything that I wanted to build or buy. And my tool & die maker friend Mark had the same problem (I'm an electrical engineer).
So, six months ago we decided to build one we'd be proud to own, and along the way decided to sell it as well. Yesterday was our local chicken club meeting (Austin, TX) where we demonstrated it and everyone there just loved it. So I wanted to open up the discussion and get feedback from this larger forum as well. Please let me what do you like about it and what don't you like.
Ok, first a couple of pictures.
We had several criteria that our design had to meet. The first is simply that we will be proud to stand behind this product. In fact we built it strong enough that we can stand ON it. Second it would not be built of wood or strings, but would be built to last for years. Third it would be simple enough that a 12 year old or a 92 year old person could use it without instructions. And of course it would need to be affordable.
Our door will not rot or fray. The frame is built of solid 7/8 6061 aircraft aluminum. The door itself is 1/8" thick painted aluminum clad with a plastic edging to prevent pinch cuts. If any animal can tear through it, you should let that animal have anything it wants! The pivot points are machined brass. The brass/aluminum joint will never rust or bind. The opening is 11" wide by 15" high.
The electronics are simple. Two buttons: one to open and one to close. To reset the timings, press both buttons. On the first day, press and hold the open button until it opens wide. You have just programmed the opening timing, it will open every day at that time that same amount. That evening, press and hold the close button until it starts closing. You have just programmed the closing time, it will repeat this close action every day at this time. After these initial settings, you can open or close the door any time by pressing the open or close button without changing the initial timings.
The electronics are a bit more advanced. On power up or reset, the door will open slightly then close to indicate the reset event. While the door closes with modest force, it is not enough to injure a chickens leg or a persons finger. It takes about three to four seconds for the door to open or close, so there is plenty of time for a chicken to move as the door closes. Every evening when the door closes, in case something blocks it such as a stubborn rooster, there is a one minute delay then the door attempts to close a second time. This is a feature that no other chicken door has that we found. Call it extra insurance. For pressing the buttons, there is a two second delay before the door activates. This is so a chicken cant peck the button & accidentally open or close it. Raccoons wont be holding the button down that long either. The electronics are housed in a water resistant case. It is designed to tolerate rain or a good water hose spray. It will not work if the door is completely submerged in water, but if you have that much water youve got bigger problems to address!
For powering the unit, any 12 volt DC supply will be fine. An old car battery or a little AC/DC power adapter will work. You can use a deer feeder 12 volt battery with a solar panel. As long as the unit has a 12 volt supply it will work properly. If you use a boat deep cycle battery, it will run the unit for over a year. They recommend that you recharge batteries every 6 months, so that would be the limiting factor. It draws very little power when idle, and about .3 amps for the few seconds when the door is moving.
We're targeting a $160 price. That does not include the battery or power adapter, but just the door and electronics pictured.
Thoughts, comments? Now, let me get you started because you can have some fun with this. In yesterday's meeting, we had a few fun comments. One person wanted a light sensor to activate it. Another person wanted an iPhone application to activate the door. Another wanted to activate multiple doors from a single controller.
Another wanted a remote control... I can just see that lady, she'd be sitting at the window and when a chicken goes to get in the coop, she'd close the door. When the chicken turned away, she'd open it again. She just wanted to mess with their little minds!
So some things are more practical than others!
I appreciate any comments.
Tony
Like many here, I wanted to put a door on my chicken coop that open in the morning & close in the evening to keep out predators. I searched the web, I read through the 20+ page threads here, I did the research & just didn't find anything that I wanted to build or buy. And my tool & die maker friend Mark had the same problem (I'm an electrical engineer).
So, six months ago we decided to build one we'd be proud to own, and along the way decided to sell it as well. Yesterday was our local chicken club meeting (Austin, TX) where we demonstrated it and everyone there just loved it. So I wanted to open up the discussion and get feedback from this larger forum as well. Please let me what do you like about it and what don't you like.
Ok, first a couple of pictures.
We had several criteria that our design had to meet. The first is simply that we will be proud to stand behind this product. In fact we built it strong enough that we can stand ON it. Second it would not be built of wood or strings, but would be built to last for years. Third it would be simple enough that a 12 year old or a 92 year old person could use it without instructions. And of course it would need to be affordable.
Our door will not rot or fray. The frame is built of solid 7/8 6061 aircraft aluminum. The door itself is 1/8" thick painted aluminum clad with a plastic edging to prevent pinch cuts. If any animal can tear through it, you should let that animal have anything it wants! The pivot points are machined brass. The brass/aluminum joint will never rust or bind. The opening is 11" wide by 15" high.
The electronics are simple. Two buttons: one to open and one to close. To reset the timings, press both buttons. On the first day, press and hold the open button until it opens wide. You have just programmed the opening timing, it will open every day at that time that same amount. That evening, press and hold the close button until it starts closing. You have just programmed the closing time, it will repeat this close action every day at this time. After these initial settings, you can open or close the door any time by pressing the open or close button without changing the initial timings.
The electronics are a bit more advanced. On power up or reset, the door will open slightly then close to indicate the reset event. While the door closes with modest force, it is not enough to injure a chickens leg or a persons finger. It takes about three to four seconds for the door to open or close, so there is plenty of time for a chicken to move as the door closes. Every evening when the door closes, in case something blocks it such as a stubborn rooster, there is a one minute delay then the door attempts to close a second time. This is a feature that no other chicken door has that we found. Call it extra insurance. For pressing the buttons, there is a two second delay before the door activates. This is so a chicken cant peck the button & accidentally open or close it. Raccoons wont be holding the button down that long either. The electronics are housed in a water resistant case. It is designed to tolerate rain or a good water hose spray. It will not work if the door is completely submerged in water, but if you have that much water youve got bigger problems to address!
For powering the unit, any 12 volt DC supply will be fine. An old car battery or a little AC/DC power adapter will work. You can use a deer feeder 12 volt battery with a solar panel. As long as the unit has a 12 volt supply it will work properly. If you use a boat deep cycle battery, it will run the unit for over a year. They recommend that you recharge batteries every 6 months, so that would be the limiting factor. It draws very little power when idle, and about .3 amps for the few seconds when the door is moving.
We're targeting a $160 price. That does not include the battery or power adapter, but just the door and electronics pictured.
Thoughts, comments? Now, let me get you started because you can have some fun with this. In yesterday's meeting, we had a few fun comments. One person wanted a light sensor to activate it. Another person wanted an iPhone application to activate the door. Another wanted to activate multiple doors from a single controller.
Another wanted a remote control... I can just see that lady, she'd be sitting at the window and when a chicken goes to get in the coop, she'd close the door. When the chicken turned away, she'd open it again. She just wanted to mess with their little minds!
So some things are more practical than others!
I appreciate any comments.
Tony
