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That is a very cute coop you have. We're glad the installation was easy, and appreciate the kind words. Enjoy!

I'm sorry you are having these issues. That is the problem with that type of motor, it is called a 'spur gear'. It is very easy for the teeth in the motor to get stripped or damaged. Something pushing against the door vertically can cause that damage. That is why we use a 'planetary gear'...

Actually the 'official' first cause of bee losses are varroa mites. It's like a tick to us that can devastate a colony, although some bees seem to control them. My opinion is that the #1 cause is always us, the beekeepers. Poisons are in the top 5 though.

Sally, I chuckle at people awaiting their "first sting". Sort of like a teenager's "first date". There is too much fear in waiting, I tell people to just take a bee & get stung. It won't kill you (I hope!). Yes it will hurt a little, but it will fade away quickly. In fact, it really does...

Ask and you shall receive. Birdinhand, I've started a thread "Bees, temperament and toughness' in the "other pets and livestock" forum.

This was being discussed as a hijacking of bees in chicken feed, and Birdinhand (BiH) suggested this as a thread in and of itself. So... here it is. First a note on my bees. About 150 hives in central Texas, all genetics from feral hive removals. So africanized (AHB) genetics are strong...

Ok, here's my chance to harumph like the old man I am. Often my bees are bouncing off me when I'm 30 ft away from the hives. Yet I will drive home, and see 20 cows laying down and chewing their cud all under the shade of the same tree as a couple of my mean hives. I tell my bees that they...

Very true. And a kettle from Mars! As I replied to Apis Melifera, we each have our own preferences. For me, I've never bought a bee and every colony I have are from removals I've done over the years. I'm in central Texas, and the majority of feral bees out in my rural area are modest to...

I wouldn't put it near the hive. Bees don't like to feed close to their hives as it may attract predators. Just put it at an elevated height, out of the rain, and they will find it if they are interested.

Agreed overall. Where there is a will, there is a way. And there will always be various obstacles. Note, I'm in central Texas, and africanized genetics just dominate. Less so in the cities, but out rural areas as I'm in is a always-losing battle. Yes, I could requeen. Would have to do it...

I too am a beekeeper, in central Texas, with about 150 africanized hives. Many good points have been made. My concern would be the risk to the hens, and to you. Climbing up to work the heavy hive is a recipe for you falling/getting injured. Or just plain inconvenience. Now fill a deep 10...

It is that time of year again. Bees are out foraging for any sources of protein so they can start raising their Spring babies. And if there is nothing else to find, the crumbs in the chicken feeder become the only choice. Give it a couple of weeks, the natural pollens will start emerging and...

We just did a video showing how molasses can prevent your water from freezing in these colder temperatures. We did different concentrations of the molasses in the water, we used a thermal camera to monitor the water/liquid temperature as time passed, and we throw in some humor because we're a...

I think you have that backwards... respectively. People start with a coop and the number of chickens they THINK they want. Then chicken math starts kicking in, but the coop size doesn't keep up with the math!

Note that we have tested our Pullet-Shut chicken door down to -20F in Minnesota & Wisconsin with perfect performance. We haven't tested it any colder because, frankly, it hasn't gotten colder than that with customers! Well, maybe it has been colder but they're smart enough to stay in the house...

The biggest weakness of sliding doors (vertical or horizontal) is the 2 ft of track on either side. Ice, feathers, dirt, poop, everything can get in there and jam it up. We designed the Pullet-Shut door to swing open, so the only moving parts rubbing together is about a 1/4 square inch at the...

I'm sorry to hear that. Too often people think Amazon means the warranty is there. Or that there is someone there to reply to emails or calls. Ours is a small company, but we've been answering the same phone number and email for 14 years. And honoring our warranty. Just this morning I was...

The Pullet-Shut door has been tested in real-world environment at -20F and worked flawlessly. We're in Texas, so we can't test here. We worked with customers in MN and WI to do this testing. We also sell across Canada and have not gotten any complaints about it not working in extreme cold...

Thank you Debbie. We'll look into it.

First, as others have said, my condolences. As others have said, materials matter. That is why we build our doors & frames from aluminum, our hinge is nickel-plated brass, and our screws are all stainless steel. The only plastic is the housing around the motor. Quality materials and design...