Opinion on Automatic Chicken Doors

[ZANEYchickenguy]

you don't want to use the light sensor

That's how i felt

 

[Borders3]

We have two chicken guard doors and love them. I use the timers on mine for letting them in and out as I would rather they lay their eggs in the nest boxes rather than where-ever. Our chickens are all free range. I've had no problems with the doors or the strings on them, the batteries last round about 18 months and as I replace them I get re-chargeable batteries. I bought the premium version with the lockable door and I tell you it would take some force to be able to open them once shut. I have had no problems with the runs on the doors blocking up and not shutting properly but then every-ones set up is different.

 

[AdorStore]

How long does the battery last? I’ve been steered towards this door.

The person you asked that question said they are still using the original battery (free battery) that we sent with their unit more than a year ago. We expect you to get at least a year. I can tell you that we buy the batteries by the pallet and test each one, loaded down, and reject any that are not par. Also, I can tell you that some stores just have batteries that have sat on the shelf too long. So best thing is to check the Production Date (PD) under the battery. PD0721 would be a battery manufactured July 2021. If you can find a place where the batteries are less than 6 months, those batteries should last well over a year. I get calls from people who are sure their battery lasted 3 years (but I don't know how often that is). Do not pay attention to the EDmmYY (Expiration Date) only the PDmmYY production date.
Another tip is to go to stores that cater to campers, fishermen, hunters. Those batteries are more likely fresh. Think Academy, or Walmart etc. Or take with you a volt meter. Expect 6.5 volts or more on a good battery. I do not know how good you'll do with a battery from Amazon -- no telling how long they've been in stock.

One thing that eats batteries is if it is sending you a warning status. The LED flashes infrequently if things are normal or once a second or so for the alarm. The alarm could be because poop is built up in the threshold and it can't close completely (that doesn't hurt the motor and raccoons still can't lift the door so don't worry about that). But all that flashing, if it goes on for a long time, will take life out of your battery so keep the threshold clear of stuff.

 

[AdorStore]

That's how i felt

Chickens don't wear wrist watches ... they don't know what time it is. If your automatic door has good technology with their daylight sensing, then gppd daylight sensing is ideal. The chickens synchronize to the day's cycle, not to human clock time.

Why would someone want to have to go out there and change the time every few days or every couple weeks? You'll have to do that with a clock timer! I sometimes get a phone call from someone who is sure they don't want light sensing -- they think they want a clocktimer. I think this perception comes from dumb yard lights that turn on when a dark cloud comes overhead. The Adorstore ADOR1 is smart. It doesn't do that. It utilizes a software algorithm and an infra-red light detector. It averages the light measurement and qualifies the reading for detection of the events of sunrise and sunset. "Sunrise" and "Sunset" are actual meaningful terms (not like dawn or dusk) and can be found on your favorite weather app for today at your longitude, your location. The ADOR follows that quite well.

It doesn't just go "I see light - OPEN / I see darkness - SHUT". We wouldn't have tens of thousands of happy customers in the rainy Pacific NW or customers who have their coop in the dark forest if our method did not work well. I cannot vouch for how well do other brands handle light detection, but I know ours works very well. Plus you can still set deviations off the events of sunrise and sunset. Sometimes, yes, there's been a problem with porch lamps or yard lamps -- in every case that is easily resolved -- just call me at Adorstore. WiFi cameras are sneaky. The emit IR flood lighting -- but even that has been no problem -- easily adjusted. SO.... why do you want a clock timer? Don't you want the door to make life EASIER for you?

 

[Borders3]

Because it was light very early in the morning I had been letting them out at 6 a.m. but a fox snaffled one of my girls so I put the timer back to 9 a.m. Also I want my chickens to lay their eggs in the nest boxes not all over the farmyard and have to go hunting them down.
My coop is under a tree so the sensor shuts the door before they have gone to bed, especially when the tree is in full leaf, so I still have to go out there to open it to let the stop outs to bed. Consequently for me the sensor was not an option and didn't make life easier I tried it and was not happy with it, that is why I bought a door that gave me the option to be flexible. I want the options of being able to do, what I want to do, not be dictated to by a company that thinks it knows better, when said company does not know every ones set up, so IMO said company is losing trade to those that want an option and are not being given it.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Why would someone want to have to go out there and change the time every few days or every couple weeks? You'll have to do that with a clock timer! I sometimes get a phone call from someone who is sure they don't want light sensing -- they think they want a clocktimer.

SO.... why do you want a clock timer? Don't you want the door to make life EASIER for you?

Because it was light very early in the morning I had been letting them out at 6 a.m. but a fox snaffled one of my girls so I put the timer back to 9 a.m.

I want the options of being able to do, what I want to do, not be dictated to by a company that thinks it knows better, when said company does not know every ones set up, so IMO said company is losing trade to those that want an option and are not being given it.

x2 what Borders3 said. We have more predator activity at sunrise than at sunset/nightfall, so I don't ever want my birds out at daybreak. Plus we're nightowls, so having the birds cooped until closer to us waking up keeps them a little quieter, because they know they're not getting fed until about an hour after the auto door opens at 7:45 AM.

Needing to go out to change the time settings is hardly a difficult thing, and it reminds me check my auto door for the battery and overall operating condition. And as I previously mentioned, it's simply bad business to assume that "company knows best" vs giving customers options to run things in a way that makes sense for their set up.

 

[Borders3]

I lost one morning then the same week evening, I start work at 6 a.m. OH 8 a.m. so it's not like no body is about at all but they are safer let out later and seeing as I have a cat that had 3 kittens last week I have been sitting outside for an hour with her whilst the chickens go to bed at about 9.30 just so the fox knows I'm there and is less likely to attack, all the while it gets nothing it will have to go elsewhere. We have too much cover in our garden for the fox to hide in morning and evening. Having the girls free range makes the flock safer at the cost of losing one or two rather than putting them in a run and losing the lot.
I have to go out every day to collect eggs and feed the girls so it's not a problem changing the timer if necessary with the lengthening and shortening of the days. It suits me and that's all that matters to me.

 

[45lk9p459gm-w]

I'm just the opposite. I like the light sensing mode because I don't get up with the chickens and I'm usually somewhere else when they go to bed so it works for me. The coop is secure but the run is a little loose as far as something coming in through the top. But, I do have hot wires around the run that are working very good for the stray dogs that are my biggest problem. I may run into some problems with something else later but at the moment this set up is easy peasy for me. I like it.

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

x2 what Borders3 said. We have more predator activity at sunrise than at sunset/nightfall, so I don't ever want my birds out at daybreak. Plus we're nightowls, so having the birds cooped until closer to us waking up keeps them a little quieter, because they know they're not getting fed until about an hour after the auto door opens at 7:45 AM.

Needing to go out to change the time settings is hardly a difficult thing, and it reminds me check my auto door for the battery and overall operating condition. And as I previously mentioned, it's simply bad business to assume that "company knows best" vs giving customers options to run things in a way that makes sense for their set up.

The Ador1 has the options to delay opening and delay closing. It’s completely possible for you to decide you want the door open at 8 instead of 6. You just have to set it to do that. Easy peasy.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The Ador1 has the options to delay opening and delay closing. It’s completely possible for you to decide you want the door open at 8 instead of 6. You just have to set it to do that. Easy peasy.

Wouldn't that still require regular adjusting to compensate for change in sunrise time throughout the year?

It takes me 10 seconds to change the close time on my Chickenguard door. I don't see where the huge time savings is between using a timer and light sensor, in that case.