Automated chicken coop door

[rims421]

I am looking for ideas on fabricating somthing to automatically open and close the door to my chicken coop. My current chicken door is hinged at the bottom and is approx. 12"x 16". It has a small barrel bolt at the top. I am trying to make it so that the door can be setup on a timer to open up after sunrise and close after sunset. I somtimes do not get home till well after dark and I am worried about the predators getting to the hens before I come home.
Also I somtimes get stuck at work overnight and I am not able to let the ladies out in the AM.
Any ideas would be apreciated

 

[2manyrocks]

If this is automated, looks like somebody will get shut in or shut out.

If they will go out through a flap door like a cat door, I suppose you could rig an electric eye to a solenoid plunger that locks the door when its dark?

 

[Tororider]

You mean like this?

Automatic Chicken Door

Automatic Chicken Coop Door

 

[schmism]

You mean like this?

Automatic Chicken Door

Automatic Chicken Coop Door

We would like one but "like this"? Um no not for $250 and our issue is never letting them out but closing them up. So an auto open door isnt nearly as important as an auto closing door. (i dont see how a bucket and hose can be a timer for when to close the door)

 

[Sackett2]

but the second link is brilliant; easy and cheap to build- replace the timer with a night activated switch...

 

[CurlyDave]

The problem with the second one is that it is manual open - automated close.

If you want to automate both opening and closing, I would think about starting with the cheapest garage door opener you can find. It is 10 times more powerful than you need, and has a lot more travel, but because it is a standard item of commerce produced in large volume it is probably less expensive than low volume components.

Sears has one for $129 and I bet you could get it down even lower if you looked hard. Maybe a used one...

 

[dooleysm]

Something I did to get around the problem was to build a fenced enclosure attached to the coop. With my enclosure the chickens have constant access to the coop and the enclosure. There is a chicken sized hole, but no door over it. When I want to let the chickens out I open the enclosure and let them roam. If I don't get around to opening the enclosure in the morning, it's not a big deal, they can still get outside to play and scratch within the enclosure.

If I know I won't be around to lock them up at night, I just don't let them out that morning. Or if I have already let them out and want to lock them back up before night, a handful of scratch will bring them all back into the enclosure.

 

[2manyrocks]

I'm still not sure how to do this. I'm not sure that chickens will go through a flap door.

Interesting idea to install a garage door opener, but seems a little big for this application.

They make automatic openers for greenhouse windows, but I think they are temperature controlled.

Next idea might be to buy an electric linear actuator of some sort and rig it to open and close a smaller door. Burden Sales Surplus Center Item Detail

 

[CurlyDave]

That is a nice actuator for the price.

You can multiply the motion with a block & tackle setup. Think of a 3-pulley block attached to the actuator over the door and a 2-pulley block fixed to the coop over the door. String this up with one end of the line attached to the coop and the other attached to the door. 1" of motion of the 3-pulley block will raise the door 6" so you would have 19 1/2" of door travel.

Just convert from a hinged door to a door that runs in channels or rails and you have it.

The door has to be heavy enough to ride down under its own weight, and if it ever jams you will get an interesting tangle of rope/cable. With a 450 pound actuator, your door could weigh as much as 75 lb, but I think I would try for 50 lb to start.

 

[mbohuntr]

This could get interesting.... I have built circuits that sense light and dark, and could easily be set up to drive a relay. But in reality, we always left the hole and built an enclosure. Foxes will snatch one in broad daylight if given the chance.

 

[allenr]

I once had an automatic opening and closing door for my chook run. It used two 1" solenoid valves (intended for irrigation systems) wired to my 8 station irrigation controller but using air from my always pressurized compressor to operate an air cylinder.

The first station let the air through to the cylinder and kept it pressurized until it switched off, then the second station turned on the second solenoid valve to allow the pressure to escape and then a return spring would close the door.

I only had mine opening late arvo for 90 - 120 minutes so the chooks would not roam too far and get into danger, but over time foxes and/or wild dogs learned it was safe to come closer and sadly, now my chooks stay cooped up all day.

 

[2manyrocks]

So what we need here is an automated mechanical chicken to beat up the predators.

 

[allenr]

So what we need here is an automated mechanical chicken to beat up the predators.

Sure do.

I considered a predator proof fence around a small cow paddock (about 1 acre) but the cost became prohibitive and I was usure what the minimum height would need to be.