Disabling the auto door in winter?

[gritsar]

I have an automatic door opener on my one coop.
I have disabled it for now, for winter, as I like to actually be out there and have a look around for predators before I let the birds out.
My DH says I'm being silly.
Anyone else disable theirs?

 

[Dogfish]

Nope. Mine runs year round, but my coop opens up to a secure run.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Thanks for your reply. My birds free range and as soon as they are let out in the morning they head straight for the woods. I just feel better about their safety if I wait until I am up and able to hear any ruckus.

 

[7L Farm]

Auto pop door opens they go out to the run. I get up look around for predators & then let them free.

 

[gryeyes]

I will most likely rue the day at some point, but I have no intentions of disabling the auto door on my main coop. It is using the light sensor, so they're stuck in there until after I head off for work (at least so far, even with the sun rising a bit earlier each morning). The other coops are *ahem* left open right now (because I'm a lazy butt) and those chickens come out before the main coop door opens. They're mostly the junior crews, as the most senior chickens roost in the main coop. So the kids get the first jump on the fresh feed added to the feeders.

The kids also hang out until it's quite late - for chickens, anyway. I have come home lately with a tiny bit of light left, and again, the kids get the benefit of freshly topped off feeders after the older birds have all gone to roost in the main coop and that door is closed.

So far, this lazy way of managing my growing flock is working okay for me.

 

[sunflowerenvy]

Quote:
donot own one love to go out and check on them and check for food and water they are my babies lol

 

[teach1rusl]

So yours is on a light sensor?? Can it be switched out to a timer easily? Then you could just set the time later, for after daybreak. That's what I do with mine, even though mine only exit into the run until I get out there to let them out for ranging.

 

[sydney13]

We too go back to the manual way in the winter

Often our motor will quite running when it gets too cold out.

 

[Kelly G]

What auto doors are you guys using? May I ask how much they cost?

I lost some hens last summer, and I don't want to have a repeat of that drama this summer! I have only found auto doors that cost about $180 each - and I have three coops!!!

 

[7L Farm]

The one thats advertised here on BYC its around 79 dollars.