Automatic pop door opener/closer-opinions?

[Egg Rookie 2010]

Ok so how do these things work? I dont have power out there so it would have to be solar or battery operated. Do yo like yours or not? Anything I should know about installation? Is it easy? About how much did you give for yours and what brand is it? Thanks for any direction you can give me.

 

[gryeyes]

For folks without power at their coops, I highly recommended the Foy's Electronic Doorkeeper, but it IS pricey. And, right now, they're still sold out.
http://www.foyspigeonsupplies.com/catalog/2100-2107.html

So I have purchased a different model for the THIRD coop on which I'm installing an auto door. (This is an old garage being transmorgrified into a chicken coop, and it has electric power to it.)

My first choice will always be Foy's. I absolutely love it. It works on 4 AA batteries, of which mine have lasted more than a year, so far. The door opens and closes upon signal from the light sensor, not a timer (although there is a timer you can buy to use if you prefer to use a timer instead of daylight....).

WELL worth the money. Never failed yet.

 

[bryan99705]

For the expence of these automatic pop doors, you can have a secure run and not have to worry about nightly lockdowns and possible pinched or locked out birds.

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
Never yet had a "pinched" bird and only ONCE had one locked out, but she was a ninny and only did that particular idjit thing once. The Foy's door moves very slowly. It has been a godsend during the winter, when I go to work and come home from work in hours of darkness, yet my birds are safely behind the auto door as they should be, even without my being present at the time.

 

[gale65]

I was telling dh about these and he said what if it closes and all the chickens aren't in yet and then they can't get in. Has that ever happened to anyone?

 

[gryeyes]

The timing of the door closing (and opening) can be changed when using a timer, and the light sensor can be adjusted to close earlier or later with different levels of light. I have only ONCE had one ninny of a chicken locked out, and I've been using these doors for nearly two years.

At the factory setting for the light sensor, all of my chickens are well-roosted. Even the juvenile chickens, the "tween-agers," which tend to stay outside longer than their fuddy-duddy grown up flock members, are inside before the door closes. Most of them are clamoring to be let out in the morning as it begins to rise to allow them out of the coop.

But yes, it has happened when one of my less intelligent pullets got very involved in digging in a once-planted planter for bugs, under the porch light, for a long time. By the time she finished farting around in that planter, the door had closed. She settled down into the planter and just roosted there until I found her (doing the nightly head count and coming up one bird short). I picked her up and carried her to the coop, then put her into it through the people door.

Your mileage may vary.

 

[Egg Rookie 2010]

Well the run is already built and NOT secure for night time. I lock them in every night. I want to go on vacation and am not able to find anyone to come over at the crack of dawn to let them out then lock them in at dark. I also have a problem needing to buy 4 drip system timers...and dogs that need out. I dont think I can ever go on vacation. I can get folks here to feed and water everyone mid morning but thats about it. Not feeling happy about this. Here is my set up....the kids are feeding bugs through the fence. I close this temp. door with a screw and drill every night at this point cause I havent decided what to do. My egg collection doors are directly above this pop door so this may need some trouble shooting before I can install it.

 

[featherz]

I use the add a motor from discount home automation.. Cheap ($70-something on ebay) and I attach it to a timer and all is golden. Worked throughout the winter. Was attached to an extension cord until we put an outlet in the coop. Now I have one in each coop. Love them! Have never had a chicken caught.

 

[Egg Rookie 2010]

OOHHHHH I want those white and black birds!

 

[chezpoulet]

I ended up with the pullet shut door from chickendoors.com- installed a week and it works like a charm! Easy to program and install. I did not want to have to re-do my pop door for an inside mount, and after factoring in $10 a day for chicken sitting by the neighbor's kid ( who may or may not get up early enough) , the door would pay for itself by the end of this summer! Another neighbor will collect eggs in exchange for feeding and watering, and they are more likely to agree to help if I don't require them to let the chickens in and out twice a day as well....we are in suburbia afterall....

I did end up running an extension cord out for electricity although they do have a solar powered option- that won't work in my neck of the woods!