automatic door openers

[NJChicken]

Chicks have arrived and resting fine. Coop and fencing complete. Question: automatic door openers. Does anyone have any experience with any of these?? Saw another one from McMurray Hatchery - the McMurray coop controller yesterday on their site. Interesting that it also has a light for the interior for the winter. Would appreciate any input on this one or any of the others that are out there on the internet. Do they work? Downsides? Since we tend to be not at home at sunset many evenings we will need to devise someway to keep the raccoons away (if they break into the coop area ) from our chicks once they are old enough to graduate to the coop.
Thanks

 

[gryeyes]

I cannot say enough positive things about the automatic door I installed in one of my coops. (I have some additional "alternate coop" situations which do not support that type of door, darn it!)

http://www.foyspigeonsupplies.com/catalog/2100-2107.html

It's pricey, but my chickens are important to me. I work 0730 to 1730 hours, nobody else lives at my house, and in the later part of the year, it gets dark before I leave work. Some mornings it's dark when I leave FOR work. So the automatic door has been just wonderful. I use the light sensor, and do not use the timer (although I have it and could install it if I decided I wanted to). I have not had to adjust the sensitivity of the light sensor at all. My birds all go to roost before the door closes in the evenings.

They don't seem to be clamoring at the door to get out in the mornings, so it must open at the right time for 'em. It's already open when *I* get up (this time of the year).

 

[NJChicken]

Thanks for the input. Surprised that others are not using any type of automatic door. Have found minimal comments on BYC regarding these. Would build my own but no comprehension of electrical wiring or diagrams...

 

[Catstar68]

I made mine with a drapery motor and an appliance timer.
http://www.buildeazy.com/photo-chicken-coop-beatarticle.html
I used a piece of diamond plate and made runners so it slides up and down smoothly.
All went great until a chicken pooped on the timer (don't ask me how she got poop all the way over the door...), screwed the timer up and burnt the motor out.

Next one will have a poop shield.
While it worked it was AWESOME!!!!

 

[hipeatall]

I have this one as well... LOVE it! I got the timer but ended up not using it as well...

Quote:

 

[NurseDr]

I have the Pullet-Shut Door (http://www.chickendoors.com/index.php ) I love it. It was easy to install, four screens to put it over the opening in the wall. I have a tractor, so did not have the over head clearance for a sliding door and I was concerned about the exposed mechanical parts and chicken debris getting into the parts. The total cost is not much different then the do it yourseld drapery opener style, when you add up the motor, timer, door and I assume much easier to install. I have it connected to a 12 V battery with a solar charger. It has been in use for 3 months and works flawlessly. Easy programming, and programming override. I can do it from the our side of the tractor, the magnet that operates the door I glued to a coat hanger that hangs through the hardware cloth.

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You can see the open door inside the run, with the solar panel on top of the tool box I mounted on the tractor to hold the battery.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:

Me too. LOVE it!

 

[sydney13]

ive always wondered if the automatic doors are predator proof

 

[3chimama]

I have always thought about how horrible it would be if a predator was inside the coop when the door shuts...has this ever happened to anyone??

 

[sydney13]

Quote:
i hate to imagine that