Omlet Automatic Coop Door

Now that it has been a year or so, how do you like this door now?
I am considering something for my coop to let them out come day time and shut them in at night.
Not sure i'd use the sun sensor, as cloudy days etc could throw it off, or possibly make it close up early and lock them out during afternoon / evening storms that block out the sun.

This looks like a good item yet would like to see more feedback if there is any.
Thanks
Aaron

Ascholten said:

Now that it has been a year or so, how do you like this door now?
I am considering something for my coop to let them out come day time and shut them in at night.
Not sure i'd use the sun sensor, as cloudy days etc could throw it off, or possibly make it close up early and lock them out during afternoon / evening storms that block out the sun.

This looks like a good item yet would like to see more feedback if there is any.
Thanks
Aaron

Click to expand...

Hey, thanks for asking for an update! The coop door is still going strong and I still love it. I tend to set the door to close at set times rather than using the solar sensor because of the issues you mentioned leading to it sometimes closing too early. I did have an issue fairly early on where the batteries melted inside. I called customer service and they sent me a new one, even though the issue was the batteries and not the door itself. I've since added their automatic coop light which is a nice addition and doesn't suck up much additional battery since the light is only on for 10-15 minutes/day. One feature that I have grown to appreciate is that it won't squish chickens in the door, which could have been super problematic this fall when some new pullets were still figuring out how to roost. The door will touch the chicken, sense the obstruction, open all the way, and then try again to close, which worked perfectly to help the new girls figure it out.

A friend of mine has the same one and has also had a good experience.

Thank you for the reply. I will probably look into one now and get it for my coop. It'll be nice to be able to let them in and out without having to drag the IBC cage back and forth every day to do so as I currently have it set up. This way on days when I may get home late or not home or whatever, they can be given their nightly walk around and let back in to goto bed.

Thanks again
Aaron

Ascholten said:

Thank you for the reply. I will probably look into one now and get it for my coop. It'll be nice to be able to let them in and out without having to drag the IBC cage back and forth every day to do so as I currently have it set up. This way on days when I may get home late or not home or whatever, they can be given their nightly walk around and let back in to goto bed.

Thanks again
Aaron

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Did you end up purchasing it?

Actually no I did not. i decided that Id rather control when they go in and out on my own. After getting over the 'new chicken owner' syndrome, Ive come to learn that NO they do NOT need to be let out to eat my garden every night and having that happen automatically is an absolute NO !!

Besides, this gives me the chance to actually go LOOK and see how they are doing, what's going on etc. I need to go out and get the eggs anyways so this just kind of is an extra step. Now that I have a lot more plants and stuff planted that they would tear up, I want to make sure that I am out there when they are loose.

Aaron
Ps Let me also add, I am also retired now, so it's not like I am doing 18 hour days at the power plant anymore so this is not really a necessity anymore.