Installed a automatic chicken door

[jwj]

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The side pieces are aluminum channal I bought them at Home Depot I think I payed $8.00 for a 36" long piece.

 

[sashurlow]

Did you use this?
http://www.robotshop.us/add-a-motor-drapery-controller-800rc-1.html
It would seem that by using this, it would not require the counter weight and its a little cheaper.
http://www.robotshop.us/add-a-motor-umbrella-motor.html
BTW, this website was not the cheapest my google search found, but had the best pictures.
Scott

 

[jwj]

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I bought the drapery motor on Ebay and the timer at Home Depot.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Add-a-Motor-Dra...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item5ad2ff6d9c

 

[gsim]

Too cool! Love the diamond-plate too.

I have manually operated same style doors using 3/32" wire cable that goes up thru two overhead pulleys atop wall header and back down thru a tiny hole in soffit outside. Cable terminates in a loop on each side of entrance door outside. I have a roofing nail driven into door trim about 3 ft off deck level to loop the cable over after pulling it down to raise each door. Simply unhook each side to lower the two pop door closers at night.

My doors are just 1/2" OSB sheets with wooden tracks that form an "L" just like the channel in the pic. Have long considered changing over to something like this. My only fear is power failures . Then there is the problem of adjusting timers with the changing length of daylight.

Have also read of this setup triggered by light-sensitive diode giving "dawn to dusk" on condition and then staying off all night. It does save changing a timer with light conditions that way. The one I saw was made in the UK and had a sensitivity adjustment to vary how soon it would operate and release.

 

[jwj]

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You're right, you would not need a weight with the umbrella motor, I liked that better than the drapery motor,I wished I had found it first, but I am happy with this system. The good part is not having to go out in the rain and when you are a way from home to close the chickens up in the coop.

 

[jwj]

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I also have a Manual operated door on the outside just in case something goes wrong, but my coop is too far from the house to operate.

 

[drumstick diva]

I'm a major worrier soooo.... what if some chicken comes home late and finds the door shut? Some coon will be having chicken pot pie. Oh dear....

 

[jwj]

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This coop is in my backyard at the house in town I've also have a blue heeler watchdog she is very protective of the chickens, at the farm it would be a different story we have all kinds of wildlife you would have to protect your chickens better there.

 

[Omran]

that's very nice, I love it

 

[teach1rusl]

I'm so jealous!!! It's on my Christmas list for my DH to set this up for me...