How do you make an automatic chicken door?

[chanceosunshine]

@Mouthpear I seen that you mentioned making your own. Can you, or others, point me to instructions?
I need a half dozen doors and buying them would break the bank.
Thank you!

 

[Mouthpear]

@Mouthpear I seen that you mentioned making your own. Can you, or others, point me to instructions?
I need a half dozen doors and buying them would break the bank.
Thank you!

I am happy to help.

I just want to say this first. If it seems that I am nit picking or "arguing semantics", it is not my intent. So please don't take it as such and get frustrated. So if you ask about some thing and ask "the piston thingy" and I ask "By piston thingy, do you mean linear actuator?" I am not trying to correct you, I am just looking to clarify things. So please be patient with me.

OK there are a few things we need to find out first.

What are your skill levels in:

• electronics
• woodworking
• metal working

And what tools on hand you have for each?

I will going one assumption that you are going to be needing complete instructions from design, Frame, Door, Type of actuation (Linear Actuator, String door, Water), and controls.

• Will you be building yourself or will you be having some help or someone else doing the work?
• Where are they going to be installed. As in. Will they be all in one building where they open out to separate runs. Or are they each installed to their own coop?
• Is the structure(s) already made? Or are you planning to build them and want to make the doors as you build?
• Is there mains power to the structure(s)? Or will each door need it own power source? Are they close enough to share power? Or share power and controls?
• Are there any specific things that you want to incorporate into the doors? Anything from remote control, WiFi, Smart controlled, Just timers, Photocell, or others you have in mind.

There is more information needed but lets start there. Also feel free to ask anything, at any time. If you don not understand something I have said or images I post, please don't be shy. Let me know and I will do my best to clarify.

But as my first INPUT I would strongly suggest you make them modular. You can make them somewhere comfortable like in a workshop or garage. I am a huge fan of the french cleat. Makes it easy to swap out the unit with a standby one. Fix the broken one back in the comfort area.

If you Decide to use Linear Actuators and the doors are relatively close to each other I may have an option in mind that will use ONLY one set of Operating Timers (Direction change Open/Close) a low RPM motor and a 6 Ch relay module. Just need to think on one detail that I will send later.

If you have good WIFI it can be accomplished with 2 SONOFF 4ch smart switches or 2 MHCOZY 4ch smart switches.

Total for either control systems would be around $60 not counting wire connectors and mounting.



TY
Luis AKA Mouthpear



Decided to check and see if I can find cheaper actuators.
went to Alibaba found these. Quote with shipping was $244 that is only less than $10 more than getting them from amazon. However these I find are usually better quality.
They are like the one in the center in this video. and the one in these videos. Vid 1 Vid 2. I can not be fore sure since I have not purchased from them but these tend to be much quitter and they just look cooler. They tend to be more expensive too.

Here is the quote they gave me.
Second thought I will send in private message.

 

[chanceosunshine]

What are your skill levels in:

• electronics
• woodworking
• metal working

And what tools on hand you have for each?

I am adept at woodworking and have nearly every tool you would need to complete a carpentry project.
My husband has many years of machining and tool building and has access to machines at work. He also has some understanding of electronics and what he doesn't know I'm sure he could learn easily.

We will be building the doors ourselves.

Each door will be used in a separate coop that has already been built, with the exceptions of two coops that will be built later this year. All but one will be installed in the run that is made of 1 inch fencing, the other will be added to a wooden coop.

A timer is preferable and I am not familiar with the term "Photo Cell". Three coops do not have electric available at this time.

Thank you!

 

[Mouthpear]

I am adept at woodworking and have nearly every tool you would need to complete a carpentry project.
My husband has many years of machining and tool building and has access to machines at work. He also has some understanding of electronics and what he doesn't know I'm sure he could learn easily.

Excellent!

will be installed in the run that is made of 1 inch fencing,

Does that mean that the door will be put on the wall of the Run and not the coop?

How far apart are the coops?

 

[Mouthpear]

A timer is preferable

Timers First Draft, should you decide to go with this I can add more detail.

Using two SPDT timers or Astronomical SPDT timers to control the Opening and Closing and using this Multifunction Relay, 8-36V 8-Channel Multifunction Time Delay Relay Interface Board Module Optocoupler LED with 2 Diodes (other Diodes), will power each door one at a time.

This will reduce the cost significantly since controls and batteries and charging system for each door will not be needed.

Having a central control also makes the changing time schedules easy, central maintenance, and trouble shooting.

Distance (radius) to each door with copper wire can be from 50 to 60 ft from control and battery or power supply.

 

[chanceosunshine]

Excellent!



Does that mean that the door will be put on the wall of the Run and not the coop?

How far apart are the coops?

The door will be on the Run. They always have access to their runs, but I free range them when I'm home. I want to be able to free range them and not worry that they're closed up when I can't be home at dark.

The coops are about 50-100' apart.

 

[Mouthpear]

The door will be on the Run. They always have access to their runs, but I free range them when I'm home. I want to be able to free range them and not worry that they're closed up when I can't be home at dark.

The coops are about 50-100' apart.

Can you provide pictures of where you intend to install the doors(s)? Are they all the same and the future ones be the same as well?

 

[chanceosunshine]

@Mouthpear, my husband thinks we're not going to pull this off in time and wants to wait until winter when we'll have more free time to work on them.

I don't want to waste your time. I can continue to get the info from you now or revisit this in winter.

 

[chanceosunshine]

Can you provide pictures of where you intend to install the doors(s)? Are they all the same and the future ones be the same as well?

This is one of the areas, five others are very similar.
And the other is in this coop, which is now at ground level.

 

[Mouthpear]

@Mouthpear, my husband thinks we're not going to pull this off in time and wants to wait until winter when we'll have more free time to work on them.

I don't want to waste your time. I can continue to get the info from you now or revisit this in winter.

Judging by the images I think you can get it done. You guys do good work.

Seeing the run, It would be very easy to make the door like I did in this video. Just the frame and actuator. The other stuff is for a safety feature. Can be added later. It is just shy of 14 1/2 inches wide. It is designed to fit in-between two wall studs at 16" on center. But you can make it wider if you like. 4ft tall. Again designed to just cut and screw. I always try and design things so people who don't have many tools can ask Home Depot /Lowes to make the bulk of the cuts. They can get three 16" x 48" out of one half sheet and stick them in the trunk of a car. Same for some 1x2s and the 2x4s. Again build them all in the comfort of the garage and install one at a time. Cut that horizontal 2x4 in the run wall and slide in place. Staple/secure welded/cage wire to frame and cut. Add support where needed.

Diagrams for the controls:
02 Basic Timers
03 Basic Timers with Solar

Doing it this way will save battery life. A single 8Ahr battery can last you 9 months on a single charge. I had this timer running 3 actuators , 3 cycles a day. Open and Close three times a day. Not just Open once a day and Close once a day. For 9 months before I had to recharge. You can however buy 1.3Ah batteries and Cycle them through the coops that have mains power and charge them there.