Wanting to invest in an automatic door for the coop...

[WyoChickenMamma]

...and looking for suggestions, recommendations, etc. from those of you who already have them. I have been looking around and have seen a variety of styles as well as the "add a motor" ones. At this point I am really wanting to hear what people who use them have to say. So let me know what you think.

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[nickie]

I was just thinking of posting this, and was looking around for some. The ones I found were really expensive for what appeared to be either plastic or really thin plywood so to me not worth the $200 asking price. I want to know more about them before I get serious about building or buying one.

 

[fireguy56]

Hi, For $99.00 I bought an add-a-motor for my chicken door. Made door out of old alumn. street sign in a simple wooden track. Plugged the opener into an old Christmas light timer I had. Goes up in am and down in pm.... like clockwork. Simple to install and set up. No problems as of yet. Love the piece of mind I get from knowing when I am away, the girls will be locked in safely for the night. Here is photo of my set up. You could use plywood, plastic cutting board, plexiglas, etc... for the door itself. Good luck.
Erik

 

[WyoChickenMamma]

Quote:
Do you know what the weight limit/rating is for that add on motor? Also, have you had it close on any birds...say if you have a stragler that is late getting in the coop? That is my worry, that one will be left out alone? I think even with that automatic door, that I would still go count them when I got home just to make sure.

 

[fireguy56]

Don't remember the weight limit, but I assure you it will handle any door material like plywood, thin metal, plexiglas. 12" w x 16" or larger would be no problem. Also, it raises and lowers slowly...my girls are all in before it goes down. It has not closed on any of our girls to date. We love the ease of installation and the burden it takes off of us having to run out to open and close the door. I think you will agree if you decide to add one to your coop. Good luck
Erik

 

[featherz]

Weight limit IIRC is 3#. I have three of the add-a-motors. Two of them have plywood doors and one has a door made of OSB. Love em ! I set the timer late enough so that I am positive they are all in the coop. And it's sooo slow and the door so light (and just lowering by gravity) that there's no chance it would hurt a chicken.

 

[moetrout]

Can those be used on side hinged doors?

 

[gryeyes]

My absolute favorite auto door is the one sold by Foy's, which is battery operated and uses a light sensor for opening and closing. I have two of them. I have a third auto door, which I bought from another company because I needed it right away, but Foy's was out of stock on the one I would have preferred to buy. However, there is electricity in this coop, so I could use a different model there.

Both brands lower the door panel VERY slowly, so nobody gets guillotined as it closes.

The Foy's light sensor one, at the factory setting for light level, has never left a chicken out that wanted to get in at dusk. The other brand uses a timer, and I have had to re-set the time for closing once..... I suspect I'll have to monitor it as the hours of daylight change, so it doesn't open too early in the dark (and let something other than poultry into the coop) pr stay open too late into the night.

But I love 'em. Price wasn't the object, for me. Convenience and safety for the times I am not home from work when the door should open or close.

 

[spacecowgirl]

How predator proof are these doors? Seems to me that since the door doesn't have a lock mechanism, a raccoon could simply slide it back up on it's track...??

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
They slide in a metal track, and you install it with the bottom of the door below the outside bottom of the opening. There were actually raccoon paw andd scratch marks on one of mine....

I also tried to push the panel up myself, and couldn't do it.