The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Buffy the eggs layer on December 05, 2015, 01:40:28 pm
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Hi,
I have decided to treat myself to a pop hole opener. After reading reviews and forum threads I was about to order the Titan.
The cheapest is the timer only model at about a tenner less than the timer and photo sensitive model. Just before I order it....., has anyone bought the timer only model and wish the had bought the photo sensitive one instead?
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Definitely get the light sensitive model. You can just fit and forget it then, rather than be forever tinkering with the timings as the days get longer or shorter.
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Thanks Womble,
I havent used one before and wasnt sure how sensitive the photo unit was. I was worried that the birds would be let out at 4am in the summer ( dont want the cock crowing under my bedroom window ) and that some of the stay up late stragglers may get shut out of the coop on winter evenings.
But I suppose you are right about having to keep changing the timer as the days shorten / lengthen..... :thinking:
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I haven't used a timer but the light sensitive one is fab :thumbsup:
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I used to have one that did both, and I used both. Shut at dusk + 30 minutes, open at 8am. This meant they generally laid in the nest boxes before they were let out in the morning, and were always tucked up in bed before it shut in the evening.
I should add this was inside a large pen we nicknamed 'Chicken Knox'. I would have spent more time experimenting with the optimum shut time had I had to worry about a fox getting into the house after the girls had gone to bed and before the pophole shut.
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We have the light sensitive one and I think it is great - you can set the sensitivity to make sure it is really dark before it shuts which makes sure no stragglers get locked out.
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Timer in the morning, light sensitive in the evening.
Buy a Chickenguard, at least you can override the door settings with the open/close buttons. I used a VSB for many years until it broke and the Chickenguard is much easier, and is only one box.
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I was planing to buy the Titan as it was recommended on a previous post but I will google the chickenguard one.
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Not heard of a Titan but I just googled it ... looks like a glorified VSB opener. Cheaper, but no manual override buttons from what I could see in the user manual. Also, how weather proof is it? My Chickenguard is outside and it's coped with everything from blistering sun to snow and low temperatures. It has a very good seal on it.
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Too many foxes here to use either :chook: :chook: :chook:
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yeah the titan is about half the price but no over ride. you have to do it manually. the unit would be fitted above the pop hole door under a covered run.......wonder if that with effect the photo sensor?
Did all of you buy the lightweight metal pop hole to go with your openers?
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If its under a covered run then yes that will affect the sensor.
I've had wooden doors in the past but switched to the aluminium door with alu runners. It was lighter and doesn't warp!
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It was a while ago now, but I had the VSB. The unit was under the roof of the covered part of the run; we put the sensor near the edge (or possibly on the side of the hut I can't now remember whether it was weatherproof or not) to get more light. We did find the alu door was worth using - it's lighter and glides easily, so was easier for the battery-powered motor to lift.
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I got the VSB about 3 years ago (photosensor) and use the coop's original wooden door - although I did have to fettle it a bit to get it moving freely in all weathers. It's still working on the original set of batteries, but it hasn't run continuously as I've had about a year without chickens (mr fox figured out he just had to wait for the door to open >:( ), but now have a herris fence enclosure which seems to keep mr fox out :) .
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We had a VSB for a while too. I bought the one with the external light sensor, so I could mount the VSB inside the coop to keep it out of the weather.
We had the motor burn out, which was replaced by VSB free of charge (in hindsight, I think the door may have frozen shut, so it was probably our fault!). The replacement unit worked well for a while, but then the hen house roof developed a leak which also got into the VSB via the mounting screw holes and killed it (a small drip in had nowhere to get out, so the whole thing filled up inside!!).
We now have a super whizz bang door opener which I designed myself, and which uses an industrial programmable logic controller (we sent men to the moon with less computing power). This also brings the lights on in the henhouse a couple of hours before when it thinks dawn is going to be :-)
Regarding pop holes, I wanted something that wouldn't warp or stick easily, but also had a bit of weight to it, so I used an 'eternit' fibreglass slate. I'm sure you can get them to send you a free one-off sample too ;-)
HTH!
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It would be pointless us getting an automatic pop-hole opener/ closer. I'd be worried every morning and night that it hadn't worked or someone was locked out and go to check. If I did that I may as well open and close it myself.
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I have a chicken guard and use the timer, some of my hens take a while to go to bed so I don't want anyone shut out, it shuts about an hour after dusk.
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Chris, the reason we have one is so we don't have to be home exactly at dusk, which is difficult at certain times of the year. We can herd the ducks and geese to bed early if we need to, but hens don't herd! Having the automatic closer means we can ignore them and know that they will be locked away securely once they've gone to bed of their own accord.
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I had one and yes, it is good if you don't get home before dark often. Ours was fine until one stormy night I had a council meeting which went on very late and when I got home I forgot to nip up and check all was well. Luckily I have a lot of shelters as it had closed early and locked them all out except 1 who was very distressed in the morning. Fortunately they made it through the night poor things. I sent it back as it was playing up and they replaced it but the new one started messing about as well. I won't say the make as they gave me good service and perhaps I was just unlucky but to be honest I now just put more effort into making sure my fences are good and in the winter shut them in and let them out myself. In the summer, the door is never closed as they need to be out at 4am.
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Well, I haven't had one for all these years as I am a bit like Chris and like to check on them but like Womble there are times when I cant get home till after dusk and worry about them.
Stereo, I have never been to a council meeting that didn't go on very late. lol!
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Of course the answer is to design and build your own. That way, when it goes wrong, not only do you only have yourself to blame, but you'll also know how to fix it! :-)
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No Womble,
the answer is for you to make me one. Then if it works well I can pretend that I made it and if it dosent I can blame you ;)
I dont know why I didn't think of this sooner ::)
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[size=78%]I gave up on my opener. [/size][/size][size=78%]I have now taught all the ladies to roost in shed roof eight foot up.[/size][/size][size=78%] [/size][/size][size=78%]That way if I’m a little late home they are safe.[/size]
[/size][size=78%]The ones that didn’t want to learn to roost up there found their way to the freezer.[/size]
[/size][size=78%]I figure that was a quick, cost effective and tasty solution.[/size]
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Hi,
I would highly recommend an automatic door. I have used a variety of doors, however have found the chucksaway the best. It is quite expensive to buy to begin with but it is well worth it. Mine only took a week or so to work it out (they are ex batts so haven't ever been outside to understand going in at dusk.) I have used both the timer and light sensor, I prefer the timer, I just make sure that it will be dark when it closes. It's harder in the summer months to do this though. I have even started using one for my turkeys. We have a lot of foxes here and have lost a lot of hens and a few cockerels to foxes.
It is definitely the best purchase I made.
Emily
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thanks Emily I love the name "chucksaway" ;D
will be interested to know if the turkeys get the hang of taking themselves into a coop at dusk instead of up a tree. ;)