Sponsored Post The Reinvented Automatic Coop Door

[Caylee]

But what happens if it closes on a chicken?

 

[CrzyChknLady81]

I would think that it closes pretty slow and the movement would be enough to get a chicken moving out of the way but slow enough that she would be able to push pass the lazy girl in front of her that won't move
This is just a guess, I have never seen one work in person..

 

[WVDoug]

My dad is a retired electrical engineer and built me an automatic door using a car window motor, a couple switches, a photocell, and a small metal box with who knows what in it. I made 2 tracks and have a piece of board that runs up and down in the tracks. It works well most of the time.

I have had a few times when the hens have not gone in at night, most often when it is raining, and they have found a place to get out of the rain, and don't want to go back out into the rain to get into the coop.

I built a door using a car window motor and switches, but it's on a timer, so no worries about it closing early if there's a storm in the evening. I can also open it "manually" with an override switch. Yes, I do have to reprogram the timer every week or so, but that's much better than having to open and close the door myself twice a day. Also, I know exactly when it will open and close, so if I want to I can watch it to be sure it's working.
My visual inspection to be sure it's closed at night consists of a hand held LED spotlight, which easily lights the 150' or so from the back deck to the barn and coop.

 

[WVDoug]

My dad is a retired electrical engineer and built me an automatic door using a car window motor, a couple switches, a photocell, and a small metal box with who knows what in it. I made 2 tracks and have a piece of board that runs up and down in the tracks. It works well most of the time.

I have had a few times when the hens have not gone in at night, most often when it is raining, and they have found a place to get out of the rain, and don't want to go back out into the rain to get into the coop.

I have an awning over the door and immediate surrounding area. This keep it dry and shaded outside the door, which provides a dry area for the chickens even when it's raining, and keeps rain and snow/ice away from the door and tracks.

 

[Camcay39]

Agree, two of my chickens often have to been encouraged back in to the coop well after dark. They seem to like perching on top of the barbecue!

 

[CrzyChknLady81]

I have an awning over the door and immediate surrounding area. This keep it dry and shaded outside the door, which provides a dry area for the chickens even when it's raining, and keeps rain and snow/ice away from the door and tracks.

Must be a WV thing...lol..my coop has a porch with a roof and I love it. It was originally a kids playhouse, handmade out of wood to look like a log cabin. I almost kissed the lady that told me if I cleaned it out, I could have it...for FREE ..Its about 6 feet tall and needed stabilized so the 3 mile trip back to my house was touch and go but we made it. I wouldn't mind a automatic door, but I like the look of the split level door...guess I could always build another coop....

 

[CrzyChknLady81]

Agree, two of my chickens often have to been encouraged back in to the coop well after dark. They seem to like perching on top of the barbecue!

I have a few that like to roost on the side of one of the horse's stalls. I have to carry them to the coop every night. The last time I forgot my mare looked like she was spotted. Out of a 15x12 stall, she had to stand right under the chickens...

 

[redhen689]

Must be a WV thing...lol..my coop has a porch with a roof and I love it. It was originally a kids playhouse, handmade out of wood to look like a log cabin. I almost kissed the lady that told me if I cleaned it out, I could have it...for FREE ..Its about 6 feet tall and needed stabilized so the 3 mile trip back to my house was touch and go but we made it. I wouldn't mind a automatic door, but I like the look of the split level door...guess I could always build another coop....

My coop is also an old wooden playhouse. I bought mine locally on ebay. It only had the bottom half of a door, so I built the top half. I cut a mini, chicken size door into the side of the house for the automatic door. The door closes slowly and is suspended by a string, so if it came down on a chicken it wouldn't do any damage. My dad was concerned that it was closing too fast when he first wired it up and tested it, so he did something (I'm not sure what) to slow it down. (He talks to me about capasitors, resistors, diodes, and relays, and I just nod my head and pretend I have some type of idea what he is talking about.)
I guess I should add some type roof over the area near the chicken door.

 

[CrzyChknLady81]

Lol..mine does the same thing..I smile and nod and hand him a Phillips head like I knew what he said..the porches are great..I took mine off for a few days to replace the porch and my girls were not happy..they know (okay, most of them...) that they can hide from the rain under it, so now if it's getting dark, I usually have one grouo that was hiding under the porch of the coop and go right in at dark..my other group are spoiled brats, pretty sure they think it's funny to hide from the rain as far from the coop as possible and that I have to carry them to the coop..but guess it's better than all of them...

 

[kloverdarling]

I use an automatic door on my coop. I have only had it a short time so I still check on it often. My birds have been shut out but they are learning the timing. In the past week they've all been making it in with plenty of time before it shuts. I think they can figure it out over time.