Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

I missed that, well spotted!

I missed one myself.

 

[BY Bob]

I missed that one too! You must have corrected it before I saw your original post.

I sure did. No way I was letting that stand!

 

[featherhead007]

Mugs Monday!

Whip and Naenae (front to back)

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Piscia...she laid her egg shortly after this...notice her reddened waddled.

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Whip (again) and Ms Meatbird in the back
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Red, I love your chickens! So beautiful

 

[BY Bob]

I don't have a comparison to judge by, but Omlet is the type of auto-door I have too, and it's worked out. I use the timer and have not tried the light sensor. It has the anti-crush push sensor on the side jamb that works well. One slight nudge, or a tail feather in there, and it reverses and then tries again. It will try four times before it quits. I check the coop and the runs every night, haven't got a camera yet. It has not closed a few times, I think from general roosting shenanigans and the crush sensor. The door track is very sensitive, I have had it not close (once), not because of the crush sensor but because it detects some crud on or in the inside track. General dirt on the threshold doesn't cause problems, good thing cause chickens have dirty feet, but bits in the runner track will.

The manual outer coop door is still operational from the top even with the auto-door installed, which is nice.

I think long-term a door that slowly lowers down via pulley, and is only using the weight of the door to lower it might be better/safer because it's not dependent on electronics for crush sensitivity. You could probably kill a chick or small pullet with it though, and the Omlet door would not. I have not heard any stories or rumors on the Omlet Facebook. Group or internet about it hurting any chickens, and it's been around for awhile. Most problems are when there is anything amiss detected, it won't close, and you have to figure out why, and the readout panel is a bit obscure as to what's going on.

A door that closes by gravity only could easily be pushed up by a predator. I believe it takes 20lbs of upward force to open the Ador once it is closed. The Ador uses almost no force when closing so it could not push through a chicken but what it does do is lock in place when closed.

Perhaps I will shoot a video of it closing on my hand......

Sadly the automated door is way more reliable than me, especially in the winter when I can be in meetings way past sunset. It always closes. Whereas I have been known to forget or just plain been late.

 

[featherhead007]

I just tucked in the 10 hens to the coop but Arizona and Dakota wanted so much to go in the house with me tonight (I caved in) I’m a pushover for a pretty beak, or two!

 

[rural mouse]

Right here.

 

[Blazinga]

Eowyn has a Challenger...

 

[BY Bob]

That is just the best! I love that.

 

[BY Bob]

Eowyn has a Challenger...
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I love it! The games afoot.

 

[featherhead007]

I love it! The games afoot.

!