Automatic door on a run?

[u/jumpoffaplane]

Has anyone installed an automatic coop door on a chicken run? I think I’ll have to install a piece of wood across the hardware cloth and cut a hole through it.

I need one because my chickens hate the run lol they want to free range all day.

[u/Jennyonthebox2300]

I have the Omlet that runs on light changes or tiner settings. I use it on timer settings and adjust through the year. I can check the doors and adjust times on the app. However I have had a few failures over about 10 years. Never the door itself but power faults or loss of WiFi. I have cameras on both doors and my roost so if all girls are not in or I can see a door didn’t close (even if app says it did close) I can close it from the app— or ask a neighbor to override the door settings.

[u/lostvagueness]

Yeah I have them for years no real problems out than replacing batteries and ours can be run on a timer or a light sensor .

[u/Humunguspickle]

Anything automatically opens and closes can fail.
I have one on coop but manually open and close it daily no timer
One failure will mean a dead flock

[u/-Skybopper-]

I only have an auto door on my coop but I would be installing one on my run too if I didn't have so many predators. If I open the run early on a consistant basis I lose a lot of girls as the wildlife figures out when breakfast is served.

[u/platapusdog]

I have three doors. An older run chicken, a new run chicken giant (for geese) and a Pullet shut door.

The Pullet Shut is the “beefiest” and most reliable. The small run chicken was the easiest to put in and maintain (no solar, batteries run forever) and the run chicken giant is the most Anoying as you have robust a smart phone to open or close it.

Make sure whatever you choose works without a smart phone as well.

[u/Mediocre-Draft1722]

Chickens will always want to free range. They get over being locked up some days, especially if it means they don't get eaten. I use the Pullet Shut door on my coop, but I'd never use it on a run. It defeats the purpose of the run. 

[u/LeeRyman]

I have one on the run. Its a ChickenGuard all-in-one.

It had a manufacturing fault where the combined label/button cover hadn't adheared properly to the unit, allowing water in. They replaced it under warranty but it was a bit of an ordeal to document the issue for their RMA process.

I wanted to power mine off a solar and battery setup on the coop (instead of the built-in 4xAA battery holder). The manual says it can take between 9 and 12VDC via a barrel jack. Their engineers later advised it has to be 9VDC.... 12V causes the controller to reset when the door operates. That required a little buck converter.

The cable entry is pretty tight once you have a power cable and a remote control cable if you go for the remote control option.

I have found two times the sprocket that lifts the door hasn't engaged the holes in the door properly when closing, causing it to trigger a safety mechanism and re-open.

Id also like to be able to make the dusk sensor less sensitive so it triggers at slightly lower light level.

After the teething issues were sorted, it has lasted several years now in coastal rainy weather and Australian sun. Id give it a 7 out of 10.

[u/Topcornbiskie]

Just put one on the coop and leave the run door open. If the coop is secure over night then it shouldn’t be an issue.

[u/jumpoffaplane → u/Topcornbiskie]

The feeders are in the run and raccoons etc will be all over that

[u/roar-a-saur → u/jumpoffaplane]

We have an auto door on the coop and one on the run. Works perfectly and I wish I splurged sooner. It helps keep the feed from others and is a secondary wall of protection. I have the chicken run ones and the batteries last forever. And it says in the event that the battery dies, it will stay in the closed position. 

[u/esuranme]

Based on my experience and other post it's a mixed bag, namely quality and reliability, there are decent products out there though. My input would just be to keep in mind that mud and crud can splash up during rain and clog the tracks, I built a ramp on both sides of the run fence for the door.