Lets talk automatic doors for the chicken coop!!

[Gwanatu]

i love our Omlet coop door. No smooshing here!

I couldn't be later to this thread but we also use the Omlet door and LOVE it. Keeps us from having to worry about our girls seeing the wrong side of a predator at sundown if we're not at home. It was super easy to retrofit onto the wood coop I built a year and a half ago and creates a nice seal at night to keep the cold winds out.

 

[DVO50]

Pullet Shut. https://chickendoors.com/?gclid=Cjw...GK1gnjo1oF1bI5zOfHzP2a_-JRCGcvyRoCSkMQAvD_BwE

 

[K0k0shka]

I have the Happy Henhouse and it's been working great. A year and a half old now, no problems whatsoever. The door itself is lightweight and lowered by gravity - nothing actually pushing it down - so there's no way it could hurt anything. It also stops when it touches anything on its way down. It's battery operated and has both a timer function and a light sensor, so you can choose how to set it. You can adjust the lumens on it, too - just how dark it should be when it opens or closes, to avoid it closing on cloudy days.

 

[Krugerrand]

What for? It will not keep out raccoons or anything else and if your run is predator proof you do not need a door.

Yes, run is predator proof. Vinyl flaps will be to keep out winter drafts.

 

[Krugerrand]

I see. Those small, short coops are trickier and vertically challenged. Is the pop door protected by the covered run? It’s hard to see from the picture. Do you have pictures from a different angle, that show how the run and coop are connected? And how much of the run is covered by the tarp/sheet? If the run is up against the coop and you can extend the covered part down on both sides to the level of the bottom of the pop door, then that should protect the doorway from wind.

Here the best view I have without going and getting another picture. From here you can see the small bridge between the coop and the run.

My plan is to replace the landscape fabric cover with thick plastic.

So, if I cover the 'bridge' with plastic as well, that might further deter drafts ... but I still think some flaps on one end or the other will help.

 

[esme13]

I have an omlet and I love it. Only problem is mine is a bit to low to the ground which means all the extra straw and bedding has been causing it to be stuck from opening. I have to dig the materials out to allow the frame to open /slide. But I would highly recommend it and just place it above their bedding.

 

[Tiltom]

We have a run chicken door. Solar. Works great opens and closes on a time you pick. Ours opens at noon closes 5 minutes after the sun sets. Have had it now for 9 months no issues

 

[Cecisflock]

I couldn't be later to this thread but we also use the Omlet door and LOVE it. Keeps us from having to worry about our girls seeing the wrong side of a predator at sundown if we're not at home. It was super easy to retrofit onto the wood coop I built a year and a half ago and creates a nice seal at night to keep the cold winds out.

It has a really great seal!! You can tug and tug on that thing.

 

[One Lucky Momma]

Sorry for delay in reply. No, has never gotten stuck, open or closed. One thing I‘ve learned to watch for is shavings getting in the tract that secures the closed door from being pried up. Conceivably a dense build up of shavings or other bedding could prevent the panel from lowering completely (talking about fractions of an inch here, but that’s all some predators would need). I’ve made a habit of brushing it out when I turn the shavings each morning.

 

[Krugerrand]

I'm planning on building something with vinyl flaps like suggested in this old thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/vinyl-flap-doors-can-chickens-figure-them-out.422943/