OK. So all is going great! 2 week old chicks are thriving in their brooder. The shed is ordered, I have a plan for predator proofing it and the run thanks to all you good people. I spend happy spare time reading stuff on this site. And then this morning as I glanced over at the coop site & climbed into my car at 5AM to go to work - in the pitch dark as I do 3 days/week, I realized with a sinking feeling that I will be opening the door to Fort Knox 3 days/week during predator hours. In the winter time the coop door could be open for two hours before it gets light outside. Soooooooooo, what do you think? Where do I find it and...... gulp - how much is this going to cost? PS I can run an extension cord out there but it won't be wired right away. Thank you - there will be 8 girls in an 8x10 shed.
If you have an electrified fence to keep out coyotes, dogs, and other predators, you can just leave the door to the coop open. I'm working on my new henhouse/run area and that's what I plan to do. Trust me, waking up at 6:30 on a cold, rainy, Saturday morning to let the hens out is a royal pain in the you-know-where! Kathy, Bellville TX www.CountryChickens.com
Ya know, having your pop hole open and close it's self is ... heaven!!! <looks up throws up hands and does the happy dance> <neighbors now thinking totally lost mind> besides the chicken thing... look up some plans on this forum. we have built 2 out of power car antenna's and 2 ac adapters set on a timer. around 50.00 and worth EVERY PENNY!!!
For peace of mind why don't you just put a timer on a light and let them stay in the shed on those days? 8 hens in 80 square feet is plenty of space for them to exercise. Put some branches in there for them to fly up to and get their exercise. It will give you piece of mind and if you clean it a couple times a week it should stay sanitary. It beats feeding the vermin with your pride and joy. Doug
Look up the electric doorkeeper on this site. It is as little pricy but might be worth it to you. As already mentioned there are some homemade ones on some threads in this forum that would be a lot less expensive. Good luck. www.foyspigeonsupplies.com
Nifty-Chicken has his on an automatic timer, I believe. I'm not sure if he has a thread here about that, but I would be surprised if he didn't.
