Automatic pop door closers?

[ChocolateMouse]

Are there any automatic pop door closers only that can be set on a timer instead of having a sunlight sensor?
I have no problem letting my chickens out in the morning, but I find I'm not always home to close it at night and if I'm not on time we have a raccoon in the area and, well, you all know how that goes.
Automatic coop doors are $180+ as far as I can tell. I could replace my whole flock a few times over for that cost. I was hoping for something affordable. Also need to run on a battery, not a plug. I did find a motor that was $100 but it had to be plugged in.
I was considering having my father (an electrical engineer) try to help me build my own. But I wanted to see if there were any that existed first. A lot of searching hasn't pulled up any results thus far.
If there's none out there and we manage to build a functional one, would anyone else be interested in a timed closure for pop doors if it were substantially cheaper than the automatic coop doors on the market?
I can't be the only person who has no problems opening their coop but isn't always home right at sundown to close it.

 

[Nikki A]

I have the Chicken Guard and you have the option of timer, sunlight sensor, or manual. I snagged it on eBay a few months back - might want to check there. You're right, new ones run about $180+.

 

[jthornton]

As part of my Chicken Coop Automation project I build my pop door based on this motor https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01E9VTL0A for $17. Others have used linear motors around $50 - $75, retractable antenna $50. But then you need a battery and some way to charge it and for the antenna you have to modify it.

This is the door I built

Here is when I added the lock so the door can't be lifted up

If you can build a door for $100 that is reliable I'd bet you can sell them.

JT

 

[ChocolateMouse]

jthornton, I didn't want to make something that opens, just closes. No need for sunlight sensors and stuff. I just want to set a timer and expect it to close.

 

[jthornton]

If it closes it will also open, a timer based door is the simplest to build. I used a timer on my door for a while till I got tired of changing the time. So timer on turns on a relay that opens or closes the door and timer off does the opposite. You still need to "sense" that the door is closed/open so the motor stops turning. Of course you could use and ancient timer with a dripping water bucket and as the bucket gets lighter the door goes down.

JT

 

[Pstock44]

You could use a 12v battery and a timer to release a catch mechanism on a door that's closed by a spring. You could also have an automatic mechanical latch that holds the door shut once its closed. Since you manually open it in the morning you can easily reset it each day. This was just a quick thought off the top of my head so you'll have figure out the details.

I just did a solar powered light in the coop and the 12v timer I got off eBay for $10 works perfect and its easily programmable. I don't like resetting the timers as the daylight changes throughout the year so I use a photo sensor as a relay to turn the light on and off. For you the photo sensor would prevent chickens being trapped outside if it goes off to early or predators getting in if its to late.

 

[Pstock44]

Here's a picture of part of my 12v setup. It's the battery, solar charger cobtroller and the timer. Obviously my photo sensor and light are remotely mounted. Picture is mostly for the reference to the $10 timer if you're interested in it.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Jthornton, thanks but that's only true if you are using a motor and it reverses. In this case I was going to use gravity as my closing force and have opening it manually reset it in the morning. I really do NOT want a daylight sensor... It would get blocked far too easily. I have a design in mind already, so I think I'll try to get a prototype together.

 

[jthornton]

Ah, I get it now your just going to trip a latch to let the door fall down. Yea that seems simple enough to build. A clock type of timer that tripped a latch as it went by would work.

I second that a photo sensor is a bad idea, I tried it and a cloud came up and the door came down and trapped the poor birds out in the rain storm... I got more wet than them putting them inside while holding the door up for them as they went in lol.

JT

 

[Rasputin66]

Hi Chocolate Mouse, where did you find a door opener for $100? I got my coop and birds for free, so $100 doesn't seem like much of an expense for me.