Is an Automatic Chicken Door Worth $225

[bryan99705]

I don't waste the money on fancy doors as I would rather have a secure run so the birds can go out when ever they want especially up here where we have 24 hour light in the summer

 

[7L Farm]

Quote:
When do the chickens sleep? My chickens would be searching for bugs 24/7 & die from over exhaustion.

 

[MakNugget]

Quote:
Where are you and a few others getting your door from that costs 245 w/shipping? My second unit I ordered in June was the same price as I got from last year at 180+20?

chickendoors.com for pullet-shut door? It's 180 w/o shipping and ships from TX. Maybe we are not talking about the same unit.

 

[gale65]

Quote:
Where are you and a few others getting your door from that costs 245 w/shipping? My second unit I ordered in June was the same price as I got from last year at 180+20?

chickendoors.com for pullet-shut door? It's 180 w/o shipping and ships from TX. Maybe we are not talking about the same unit.

I think they're talking about the one that includes the battery and solar charger. That one is $225.

eta-the one with the trickle charger and battery is also $225.

 

[MakNugget]

Doh, I see it now.

 

[gale65]

Guess everyone isn't happy with the pullet-shut door. Just saw this post tonight:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=533794

 

[bayareapilot]

Just got my Pullet-Shut Automatic Chicken Door, couldn't be happier. The customer support was great and *so far* the unit was a breeze to install and appears to work just fine!

 

[cpwhip]

I need one!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[NewOldMotherHen]

I posted the original question. Here is my experience with it: The $245 Pullet Shut Automatic Door including trickle battery (charged by electricity) arrived within a week of ordering. I (65 year-old woman) installed the door on July 11, 2011 with no help from anyone. Because I was installing the door in an old smokehouse that had uneven siding, I decided to build a frame for the auto door using treated 2 X 4s. Then I installed the auto-door to the 2 X 4 frame and then installed the whole thing over the opening the chickens were already using. (The opening in the chicken house that had already been cut was a little bigger than needed for the auto door so the 2 X 4 frame that I built covered the spaces and made a really strong installation). The Pullet Shut Door has been working perfectly for three weeks. SO FAR SO GOOD. I no longer have to get up early morning to let the chickens out. YEAH! Because I am a worrier, I still look out the pantry window every morning and every night to make sure the door worked. Mornings when I get up at 8 AM, the chickens have already been enjoying the outside for two hours before I drag my butt out of bed. No more getting up at 6 AM out of guilt thinking about the poor chickens having been penned up all night. If you need to open or shut the door any time other than the programmed times you just hold the magnet against the red spot on the door. That does not alter the normal times you programmed for opening and closing. The door goes back to the programmed times without any adjustment. The door is all metal and well-made. It is definitely easy to install and if it continues to work long-term, I would say it was worth my $245.

 

[Underwhere]

I have an automatic door opener that I bought from Discount Home Automation.
It was about 89 bucks shipped.

I went away for a week and had a friend take care of the girls. When I came back the motor was no longer functioning and I couldn't figure out why. It lasted from October 2010 until June 2011.

I have another one on order and hope to figure out what went wrong so i can prevent it from breaking again.