Automatic chicken door?

[gryeyes]

I'm looking at a few different styles of automatic chicken doors, and can't quite make up my mind between the ones operated by timer setting and those operated by light (dawn, dusk).

It seems to me that if I built another coop (which I'm planning on doing fairly soon) located under some trees, when they leaf out later in the year, the shade might have a detrimental factor on door openings and closings.

Or d'ya think the light activated bits are more like the ambient light, like yard solar lights? Triggered by a certain candle-power of light around it, not by the sun actually striking the sensor?

And before anybody jumps in to tell me how much more cheaply a DIY version would be, I know it. I'm just not that handy with mechanical things. Sawing, cutting, nailing and whatnot, I can do. Build a mechanized coop door opener, no way. Not even interested.

Anybody using one they can tell me about?

 

[Omran]

I think you answered your question yourself, I will go with the day light deal if it was me.

 

[j3707]

A light controlled opener is going to be based on the ambient level of light, not direct sun per se. Depending on how heavy it is, your tree cover may make a difference as to when it activates (ex. closing earlier in Summer than you might want it to). I'd make sure it had a sensitivity setting that you could adjust to suit your particular location and time of year, or the ability to move the sensor itself to a more open spot.

 

[nolable88]

I saw on another post someone mentioned a dark rainy day could leave your chickens out in the cold rain overnight!! Just a particularity....