Need chicken coop door ideas or whats best automatic afordable door?

[RUMBLON]

I am getting a bit more serious about our chickens, that were all my wifes gig up until now. I have decided if I am going to feed them and pour $ into them, then I am going to get more eggs and take better care of them. They are free range and live in various barn areas but now I have given them their own 14x20 or so coop. I have added make shift nesting boxes out of plastic milk crates and put them up higher on a shelf and now will close off the area to the other animals (goats ect) so they can feel safe. There is a man door ther now and I want add a chicken access door only and will eithe rmake one if I like the idea or will buy a nice automatic door if there is a nice affordable one or a decent idea out there. THOUGHT I would ask here first???

Thanks for any advise.
RUMBLON

 

[fireguy56]

Rumblon, You can make a simple track out of lumber, angle aluminum or use drawer guides. Door can be thin plywood, 1/8" aluminum, plastic cutting board, etc.... Door motor alot of folks here use is the Add-A-Motor D-20 about $100.00 and simple to install. Plug into an inexpensive timer and you got an automatic chicken door. Here are a few photos of my two different set-ups. Good luck
Erik

Here is the first one in our big coop. Track made from 1" x 4" material, door is aluminum, Add-A-Motor above door and plugged into Christmas light timer. simple and works flawlessly.

Here is second one I did in new Bantam coop. Same idea, only aluminum angle for track. Motor on order.

 

[steinway]

Quote:
Thank you fireguy56

 

[Avonlea22]

This is where I plan to buy my motor when the time comes. I've bought from this company before, and they are great to deal with. I'll be hooking mine up to an Insteon outlet (which is a Home Automation system). Once plugged in, I can control it from my computer or iPhone. I can program the door to open or close based on sunrise and sunset.

http://www.smarthome.com/31427/Add-A-Motor-D20-Chicken-Coop-Motor/p.aspx

 

[Beekissed]

Well....I read once about an old farmer that used a wind up alarm clock mounted above his door and set the alarm each night when he closed the coop. The clock had a string tied from the door to the winding key. When the alarm rang, the key would turn and wind the string up around the key, thus opening the door.

Country ingenuity!

 

[fireguy56]

Quote:
Wow, cool idea for opening a door using old school clock. Bet it worked great and was the talk of the town. However, I think today in the days of computers, electronics, circuit boards, soalr energy, etc....folks might be looking for something alittle more advanced. Still love the idea.
Erik

 

[SteveBaz]

automatic car antenna
I keep stuff like this filed in groups. Here is a group on the same subject about auto doors.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=99668

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=1616486#p1616486

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=2526968

 

[TomG]

I have about the same setup as Fireguy with the ad a motor. I use a split pass through threashold so racoons can't geet their fingers under it. I have had it for well over a year and never had any problems.

 

[fireguy56]

Quote:
Tom, Yes and yes on the threshold. On my first one I did I planned to go back and add that feature, just havn't done it yet. Here is what I did on the new coop using aluminum angle. Same idea. Different material. Erik

Inside view showing aluminum track and threshold.

Outside view.

 

[PtldChick]

One question on the Add a motor...I've heard that some motors can run continuously and therefore burn out. There are a few reviews on the smart home site confirming this about the ad-20.

What would cause this to happen? I'm assuming that it wouldn't normally be on the down cycle because even if some debris keeps the door from going all the way down, the line would just get more slack in it? So is it only if something is blocking the door from going up?

Thanks.