Just beginning . . . Should I buy an automated door for the coop?

[3riverschick]

Hi Sylviathecochin had a great response . just make your run secure and don't worry about the automatic door as long as it opens into the Run. now regarding the run. it's too small. you need 10 square feet per bird .okay you got 10 birds,so a hundred square feet . right now you have 64 so you need to add a little bit more length to your run.
Best,
Karen

 

[Sylie]

Welcome to our Flock!! We are so happy to have you here. I have considered getting an auto door also but have decided against it for several reasons. 1 I saw the video of the chicken getting her head caught in it also...*shivers*, it was nightmare inducing. 2 - I personally, like to go out and say good night to my girls, make sure everyone is okay, give them a quick look over, make sure everyone is in the coop, etc etc. I just feel better over all knowing, beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are locked up tight, safe and sound and healthy each night. I do understand that sometimes you just can't get out there to shut it on time but as long as you glance around to look for predators, mice, snakes or what have you, it doesn't matter that much if you don't get the door closed exactly on time.
Also, I have to agree on the run size, it is a little small, the coop may even be a tad small depending on your girls personalities. I used to have 2 RiR's in with my 3 barred rocks in an 8 x 4 coop and the RiR's beat the holy snot out of the BR's every single night/morning. I ended up adding an upstairs to the coop and that solved the problems, no more fighting.

 

[Pork Pie]

Welcome to BYC - you have some great advice already so I'll just say hello!


All the best

Pork Pie

 

[007Sean]

We LOVE our auto door! It reopens for a second chance to allow stragglers. Solar powered and runs off photosynthesis to open/close door. You can set a timer if preferred. Best money we have spent on the kids.
Also, if you're at a movie or out of town for the night, no need to stress!

Unless your pop door is alive and green, I think you ment it's Photovoltaic not Photosynthesis!

 

[007Sean]

Howdy and welcome to BYC!

Glad to have you here with us!

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

I just got the ador1 and haven't actually used it with the chickens yet, but I got it because 1 our run is not super secure. It is secure enough, but probably not for night predators. 2 my girls are always squawking to get out when I get out there. 3 I need to have it easy for when I go on vacation as we don't have anyone who would want to come to let chickens out twice a day.
The ador1 was easy enough to install. It has a sensor, so opens according to the amount of light it receives. So far when I have checked on it, it has opened and closed when it is supposed to. I can set a delay for it to open later or close later. It has a straggler function - meaning it will close and then reopen for any chicken not wanting to get in by the first closing. It closes slowly. I haven't seen the video referred to above, but it should be plenty of time for the chicken to get out of the way.
The ador 1 is also predator proof, so no need to worry about them prying it open.
Do I need it? Probably not. But, I justified the purchase as my new coop only cost me time, a box of screws, some additional hardware and a gallon of paint. Oh probably a couple of gift certificates for my fil since he helped. All of the other materials we gathered up from around the property.

 

[Joeschooks]

Hello and

I love my ChickenGuard auto door. It can be set to open/close on a light sensor or timer. I use the sensor and have it set for about 30 mins after the chooks go to bed so I’ve never had a problem. I’d hate to be limited to always being home at dusk. The run is protected with electric fence so the coop door is the second line of defence.

My chick run and coop is really well predator proofed so their coop door just stays open.

 

[X_and_Z]

I also really like my auto chicken door. I have a very secure coop/run so the chicken door is from the run to the chicken yard. There is a manual lockable door from the coop to the run that I always leave open.

The door I have allows you to set the latitude/longitude & time/date and uses that to determine sunset/sunrise on any particular day. It closes ~1/2 hour after sunset and re-opens briefly a while later to give any dawdling chickens a second chance to enter.

I am a morning person, so letting the chickens out was not an issue, but I often get home from work well after dark in the winter and the auto-door is a real help. Also, it makes it easier to find chicken sitters for vacations.

 

[Tbanner]

I Love my chicken guard door. Critters are a major issue at my house and there are a lot of days that I get to come home around lunch time and then I’m not back at home until after dark. And I haven’t seen the video of the chicken getting its head caught but it must have been a dumb chicken because my door lowers at a slow enough rate that the chickens have plenty of time to get from under the door. My answer to your question is if you have the funds to get the door do it but if not it’s not an absolute necessity but it’s very useful.

 

[Crzytrkr]

Hello everyone, BYC seems to want every new person to be more than a lurker and to post something by way of introduction. Alright, here goes: I've longed to raise my own chickens for years and now the time is right! I bought 10 ten chicks -- 2 Buff Orpingtons, 1 Jersey Giant, 1 Black Sex Link, 1 Welsummer, 1 Colombian Wyandotte, 1 Salmon Faverolle, 1 Gold Laced Wyandotte, and 2 Ameraucanas. They're three weeks old and growing so quickly! My dad and I are building their coop right now and I will share that in a later post but I did model mine off of the Coop de La Villes shown on this site's first page of medium sized coops. I'm going 4'x8' with an additional 8 ft run beyond the 8x4 of run underneath the coop. This is serious, y'all!

As for costs -- well -- I'm already $600 - $700 into it -- the guys at Lowe's told me that would buy a heckuva lot of eggs, but hey, that's not the point! Right?

So . . . someone, please do tell -- is it worth it to spring for the automatic chicken door? I can't think of any reason not to other than the expense but it seems the convenience of timely opening for the chickens alone will pay for itself. Any particular ones I should definitely avoid or definitely should get? I'm getting ready to order . . . would so appreciate any guidance about it.

.

Hello everyone, BYC seems to want every new person to be more than a lurker and to post something by way of introduction. Alright, here goes: I've longed to raise my own chickens for years and now the time is right! I bought 10 ten chicks -- 2 Buff Orpingtons, 1 Jersey Giant, 1 Black Sex Link, 1 Welsummer, 1 Colombian Wyandotte, 1 Salmon Faverolle, 1 Gold Laced Wyandotte, and 2 Ameraucanas. They're three weeks old and growing so quickly! My dad and I are building their coop right now and I will share that in a later post but I did model mine off of the Coop de La Villes shown on this site's first page of medium sized coops. I'm going 4'x8' with an additional 8 ft run beyond the 8x4 of run underneath the coop. This is serious, y'all!

As for costs -- well -- I'm already $600 - $700 into it -- the guys at Lowe's told me that would buy a heckuva lot of eggs, but hey, that's not the point! Right?

So . . . someone, please do tell -- is it worth it to spring for the automatic chicken door? I can't think of any reason not to other than the expense but it seems the convenience of timely opening for the chickens alone will pay for itself. Any particular ones I should definitely avoid or definitely should get? I'm getting ready to order . . . would so appreciate any guidance about it.

Hi hope all is well I see you wanna put what I think opens and close too alow the birds in and out i have to be honest i dont trust such a mechanism for a couple reason it could malfunction and open or not open or close while a bird is in between and serious injuries the creatures pluse i enjoy walking out in the morning to check and see if vermin are chewing it's way into your coop by physically going in the morn you can see if while opening the door and doing an inspection around the coop and run in the morning and again at nite you get too inspect to see if rats, skunks, raccoons, foxes and possums are always trying too figure a way in and if you use this unit that opens and close you might have your whole coop whipped out! Vermin do not quit and with out a daily inspection you won't see it coming! But if you go every morning to open and look around and the same at knight im not saying it could but why risk it...
Your friend Vince