Automatic door and egg production!

[Thousand Oaks Family]

So I could never get up early to let the chickens out and I was wondering if this affected their production. Well I finally purchased a motor from DHA and installed it yesterday. It was the easiest thing in the world to do. Took 10 minutes tops and I even had to do a slight modification. The hens got really freaked out when I took the tools into the run. Anyways I went out this morning to make sure it had worked and not only had it worked one of my girls had just laid. She doesn't normally lay until a couple hours after I let them out which was usually around 8:30 so she laid well after 11. So today she had laid by the same time I normally let her out. . She was laying 2 consecutive days then a day off. I am hoping this earlier lay will get me another egg production day. I will let you know. So I am now a big fan of this motor. It works great and is pretty cheap. The ease of setup definitely makes some of the cost worth it. And if I can get more production then even better!

http://www.discounthomeautomation.com/Add-A-Motor-Chicken-Coop-Motor-AAD20

 

[7L Farm]

I ordered mine the other day. I'm glad to hear easy install. Tired of letting them out.Also, thinking it will help when I go out of town.

 

[Chick CJ]

I don't know how I lived without my electric door!

CJ

 

[imusa76]

I just added a door the other day to satisfy the neighburs, by letting the rooster out after 7am.
right now its manual (kid controled), I want order this kit it looks simple to use, what happens during a power outage? is there a manual overide?

 

[Thousand Oaks Family]

Update! Since I have installed my automatic door, my hen has laid 3 days in a row now. We'll see if she can do 4. She was only doing 2 days then a day off before. I think letting them out later reduced her laying hours. Now she can get out at dawn and get her day going. People told me it didn't matter when I let them out but so far it appear it does matter.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
Light does affect laying. Less light, less eggs. That's why they slow down in winter. Not enough light out,.

 

[Thousand Oaks Family]

Well I do have a light that comes on early in the morning as well.