The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: caz on July 11, 2015, 09:46:19 am
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:excited:I'm totally new to keeping chickens, I got my first 4 last night. I keep them in my field away from home.
They have a house which I've put in a 12ft 12ft run but plan on letting them free range while I'm there through the day. Could anyone recommend an automatic door opener/closer so they aren't waiting around for me first thing to let them in the run?
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I don't know the make of ours but it is fantastic and I wouldn't be without it :thumbsup:
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Do they need a special light weight door or do they attach to the existing wooden door? I'm clueless !
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I use chicken guard which is fine, they have a aluminium door
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Yes, agreed aluminium door because it is light weight. I think a wooden door would be too heavy
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Ok thank you. I need to get saving up.
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Ok thank you. I need to get saving up.
Yes, you do but it will be worth it
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We have 2...both Chuxaway. They have a timer rather than the light sensor as I don't want my hens out at 4am in summer when I cant keep an eye out for Foxy-Loxy. The timer is a bit over-complex as it lets you open/close at a different time every day: Why?
Anyway, they have an aluminium door too. And a really good website with films on how to install.
Automatic doors are not cheap but they certainly make life easier, IMHO.
One thing we found is that a lot of coops aren't configured to allow you to install an automatic door easily, especially the cheaper small ones. You need a clear area above the pop hole of about 18ins to enable the mechanism to draw the door up. Our original coop wouldn't accommodate one so its now just used as an isolation coop. So check whether you can fit one to your coop
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Had a Chuxaway and it was good. Don't really use it now. Prefer them to get every bit of daylight they can. Probably taking a chance but just have to keep working on the electric to keep it zapping.