Coop door safety mechanism

[d4ve]

Has anyone created a good safety mechanism for automatic coop doors?

I built a door for my coop early this year, with a timer and a metal door that slides down on a 12v actuator. Looks a bit like this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HRT5WD2/?tag=backy-20

We got a new batch of chickens recently, and unfortunately, two of them (our of 4) seem to prefer to sleep on the floor of the hen house, instead of on the perch (all of our previous chickens slept on the perches). Well, two weeks ago, the inevitable happened, and one of the chickens went to sleep in the doorway. Luckily the chicken lived, and seemed to be none the worse for wear after a few days.

Currently the door/guillotine is disabled, but I want to put it back into service with some sort of safety mechanism. I've thought about sensors, like an automatic garage door has, or something that pushes the chicken out of the way before the door closes. Or even inverting the actuator, and using it with a pulley and cord to lower the door, but that way the door won't close as securely.

Thoughts?

 

[jthornton]

The auto door I designed and have been using for the last 2 years uses a string but the door goes past the bottom so there is no way anything could get a grip on the door and open it. That being said with the 3 layers of security outside the roost area I doubt now anything can even get near the door.

JT

 

[aart]

The auto door I designed and have been using for the last 2 years uses a string but the door goes past the bottom so there is no way anything could get a grip on the door and open it. That being said with the 3 layers of security outside the roost area I doubt now anything can even get near the door.

JT

Have you ever had a bird sleep in the doorway so the autodoor closes on it...like the OP?

I had the manual the slider door drop on a hen once when the rope broke,
luckily it hit her back then slid down to her neck and she froze,
instead of struggling her way to a broken neck.

 

[jthornton]

Have you ever had a bird sleep in the doorway so the autodoor closes on it...like the OP?

They never try and stop in the door area going in or out, maybe the shape or height makes them want to keep on trucking into the roost area or out into the run.

JT