The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Equipment => Topic started by: Daisys Mum on June 26, 2010, 03:16:48 pm
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I am not a night person and hate having to stay up until the stop out chooks go to bed, does anyone have an automatic closer that they would recommend and how much did it cost?
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See this thread
http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php/topic,8308.msg80775.html#msg80775
We use an auto door closer - I think it cost about £100 - worth its weight in gold as far as I am concerned!
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+1. Got a vsb from wells poultry.....works fantastically well....highly recommended
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Also +1 for the VSB.
Ours broke after a year and a half, and was swiftly replaced by the manufacturers FOC. Overall, well worth the cash.
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Yup, I had a VSB some years ago, absolutely no problems with it. I think I recall that you could set it to open/shut at a set time or at dusk (and you could vary the sensitivity so that you could adjust the light level it called 'dusk') and open at sunup / a set time.
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I use VSBs - find them very good.
Yes, you can opt to have a timer too (which I do) so open and/or shut at a particular time, or you can set it to respond to light levels.
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Actually, when I re-fitted my new unit, I connected a manual switch across the timer contacts instead. This then gives me an 'auto' (open when light) mode, and a 'manual close' (stay down all the time) mode, which can be quite useful, for instance if I want to enforce a chicken lie-in for some reason, like if I need to catch some of them.
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Another one who uses VSB. I would recommend getting the exterior one so can easily change batteries, adjust settings as the daylight changes throughout the day/year. Just make sure you close it up and make it properly weathertight and ideally away from prevailing wind (which you would want to do with the door anyway). I also use the lightweight aluminium doors, just make sure when using runners that you allow for expansion/ contraction of door. I also like to have a small fixed run so hens are fox-safe first thing, then let them out to free range once everyone is up and about.
I tend to use the timer in the morning (to make sure its well light before they get out, so no chicken breakfast for foxy) and use the light setting at night - thus makes allowances for those glorious sunny days when the hens don't want to go to bed, then you come home and find they are locked out and you have to hunt around to find where they have roosted themselves in the dark ::)