automatic coop door opener

[laser106]

Sue not sure how all this blog stuff works but I did post a LINK to ebay where the Titan Automatic coop door is shown. Also if you go to Utube and put Titian coop door opener you will see it in action.

Mike

 

[sadie10023]

I was also thinking on using a marine battery for the power - please share if you succeed or come to any ideas. Thanks Barbara

 

[Sue Gilfoy]

Barbara,

I did decide after much research to get an automatic coop door opener/closer and just love it! Yes, it takes an marine battery which I think was pretty expensive. . maybe $12(I could be wrong and it is more) but it opens like clockwork every morning and closes every night. There have been a handfull of mornings when it was still dark and stormy at 8 a.m. and I just go out and open the door as the hens(6) are going nuts wanting to get out. After three years of struggling to get out and open the door in all kinds of weather, I now don't have to worry, especially when I may be out of town on vacation.. . . .Sue

p.s. how many chickens do you have, what kinds?\

 

[sadie10023]

Sorry on delay of reply here - I actually have Guinea Fowl, not chickens. I can only handle so much! We have Guinea for scorpion control - not sure it is working yet but they have been free-ranging since June 2013. They are currently locked up for 3 days a week and then released over long weekends till I get the auto-door underway which is priority!!!!

I will try the Marine battery second - first I will go with electric because I need a fool proof method as we will be away for a month in November. Not sure how this will work out. I am looking for a caretaker and depending on electronics for door action. Water will be fine.

I will update on how the door thing comes together. Just decided I may try 2 doors to insure and exit in case of a one door malfunction.

Will see.

 

[laser106]

What type/style/brand door opener did you decide on? By the way a marine battery will cost ~$80. Not sure why you would need such a large 12V source. A small lawn tractor battery should be plenty. The one I looked at use 4 AA batteries and they say they will last more than 6 months. The one I referenced 3 reply earlier includes time, and motor to open/close a vertical coop door.

 

[whiteybird]

maybe i missed a post but why run a coop door on a battery at all when you could risk the batteries dying and who knows what getting inside? Or, if it auto-closes when power is lost, lock the birds out of the coop?

we ran an exterior grade extension cord from the window of our garage to the coop (maybe 50'). not the best way to do it, but so far so good...heh.

DO NOT buy the Poultry Butler door. WASTE OF MONEY. We bought it and have lost chickens because of it, plus tons of time wasted trying to fix it because no one answers emails or phone calls listed on the 'company' website. fixable, but total crud.

 

[jimmywalt]

Here's one I made about 2 months ago and it's PRICELESS and ANYONE can make it for only a few bucks and a couple hours of your time! All the instructions/pictures/videos are included. It's made with a car radio antenna from a junkyard.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...a-radio-antenna-from-a-junkyard#post_11919410

 

[cotterell]

Hi everyone I made an automatic door similar to the one suggested above and it works great. What you need is a submersible fountain pump, really cheap, then a water container to act like a reservoir, I used a big a plastic cereal container then a plastic 1 1/4 litre bottle, some plastic tubing and weights for your coop door. Step 1 make a sliding up down door on the entrance to the coop. Step 2 run a fishing line from the top of the door towards a power source, mine went 20 metres. Step 3 connect 1 1/4 litre bottle to line on an up down pulley system, I used the side of the shed with eye screws .step 4 have water pump in reservoir container with plastic tube coming from outlet of pump into the lid of the bottle, then an overflow from the bottom of the bottle, the bottle hangs upside down. When turned on the water pumps into the bottle filling it up and opening the door and then pulling down the string when the bottle gets full it overflows back into the reservoir and cycles around. The secret is to have the bottle set higher than the reservoir so when the power goes off the water then drains back into the reservoir and with a couple of weights , I used fishing sinkers on the door the door closes. The final step is you put a timer on the power source so your pump comes on when you want , say 6am opening the door, water cycles around all day but uses minimal power on those tiny fountain pumps and then you set power to go off whenever it suits water drains out and it shuts them in for the night. The biggest cost was the pump and it cost me $14. Cheers.

 

[cotterell]

Hi everyone I made an automatic door similar to the one suggested above and it works great. What you need is a submersible fountain pump, really cheap, then a water container to act like a reservoir, I used a big a plastic cereal container then a plastic 1 1/4 litre bottle, some plastic tubing and weights for your coop door. Step 1 make a sliding up down door on the entrance to the coop. Step 2 run a fishing line towards a power source, mine went 20 metres. Step 3 connect 1 1/4 litre bottle to line on an up down pulley system, I used the side of the shed with eye screws .step 4 have water pump in reservoir container with plastic tube coming from outlet of pump into the lid of the bottle, then an overflow from the bottom of the bottle, the bottle hangs upside down. When turned on the water pumps into the bottle filling it up and then pulling down the string when the bottle gets full it overflows back into the reservoir and cycles around. The secret is to have the bottle set higher than the reservoir so when the power goes off the water then drains back into the reservoir and with a couple of weights , I used fishing sinkers on the door the door closes. The final step is you put a timer on the power source so your pump comes on at 6am opening the door, water cycles around all day but uses minimal power on those tiny fountain pumps and then you set power to go off whenever it suits and it shuts them in for the night. The biggest cost was the pump and it cost me $14. Cheers.

 

[chickenmama55]

i know this is a old post, but i was wondering how your automatic door was put together