How strong is the motor? Some of my chickens like to perch in the door opening and I'm afraid they may get caught under the closing door.
766960
There is not pressure exerted from the the door, or the motor, the door is lowered by gravity (weight). If the door hit anything will stop, the motor may continues unwinding to the preset setting and stop and may cause some damage to the motor..The door should not weight more than 2-3 pounds. I think the chicken will move when the door start coming down. Keep an eye at the closing time to see if the chicken move.
766961
There is a string that lifts and lowers the door. It does not push it closed, only the weight of the door brings it down. Also it opens and closes slowly.
766962
Its slow and I think they will get out of the way, make the door as light as possible, it will keep the motor from straining, and extend the life of it. My opener works well and i'm very satisfied.
766963
The door weight is the factor, the motor only allows gravity to pull down the door, the motor is slow enough that the chickens can easily get out of the way, we use ours on a timer so it comes down well after they are perched, almost 3 years now and still working fine
766964
The strength of the motor is not relevant to protecting your chickens at the door opening. When the motor is triggered to go, it will slowly lower the door with gravity doing the work. The motor does make noise as it goes which hopefully alerts the chickens to move. If the chicken does not move, the weight of the door itself is what you need to be looking at to determine if it will harm the chicken. The door takes about 8 seconds to close.
766965
Try attaching a short piece of hardware cloth ( or thin, stout piece of plastic or metal approx. 2" in ht.) one inch away from the door and spanning the entire width of the door to discourage roosting in the doorway. Make sure the chickens can safely walk over it to exit and enter the doorway.
2231335
The basic cage is well constructed, however, the latching mechanism is POOR as it is difficult to "set". Once an animal is inside, the door is solid. Fortunately, my background is mechanical design & fabrication & I was able to modify the latching mechanism to the point of satisfactory. I will probably, as time permits, re-manufacture the latching mechanism to be fully functional & reliable. I hope this helps you. BTW, I am using it to catch full grown raccoon's.
608180
One of my chickens managed to force her way under it and then couldn't find her way out - it's quite stretchy and would require a lot of stakes to really be secure at the ground. Smaller birds do get tangled pretty easily. I'm going to switch to a heavier netting.
2095466
The holes are big enough that small birds can get through. I use mine for my peafowl and chickens. I do notice that morning doves seem to get in sometimes but they can't get out. I think their coming through the fence not the netting. Its very very strong and works great if u need to cut it and it dont come apart. I have had mine for about 5yrs now. I use zip ties to hook it to the fence. Its easier to take down when needed. Yes its lightweight.
1437555
I have 3 bantams and it is too small along with an attached running pen. I wouldn't keep more than 2 small grown chickens. They also don't use the roost that is provided and sleep in the tray or nests upstairs. My hens should be laying next month...it will be interesting if they use the nests for laying eggs. The pen is not designed to be moved or relocated...I've had mine a few months and it is starting to crack and the end door has been replaced with longer screws several times! The coop is made of light material and won't last very long especially if you relocate your birds to new grasses. Also, the nests are getting loose with no use!! From one grandma to another, you get quality with what you pay. I have 3 bantams and it is too small along with an attached running pen. I wouldn't keep more than 2 small grown chickens. They also don't use the roost that is provided and sleep in the tray or nests upstairs. My hens should be laying next month...it will be interesting if they use the nests for laying eggs. The pen is not designed to be moved or relocated...I've had mine a few months and it is starting to crack and the end door has been replaced with longer screws several times! The coop is made of light material and won't last very long especially if you relocate your birds to new... » Read More I have 3 bantams and it is too small along with an attached running pen. I wouldn't keep more than 2 small grown chickens. They also don't use the roost that is provided and sleep in the tray or nests upstairs. My hens should be laying next month...it will be interesting if they use the nests for laying eggs. The pen is not designed to be moved or relocated...I've had mine a few months and it is starting to crack and the end door has been replaced with longer screws several times! The coop is made of light material and won't last very long especially if you relocate your birds to new grasses. Also, the nests are getting loose with no use!! From one grandma to another, you get quality with what you pay. « Show Less
1778023
You can prop open or even remove it. Either way. Won't affect feeding. Door is just to keep flys and such out.
1671862
We lock them in every night. While the chickens love the ease of getting into the low doorway, it also makes it easier for racoons and the curious opossum. The simple lock stops that. As far as food and water, no. I want them to graze. The variety of grass improves the flavor and color in the yolks. I might change this if the snow piles this winter, like it did last winter.
765002
Having never lived with a bird, I don't know. Our 30lb rat terrier is a bit freaked by the volume of the motor tho. Idk if that tells you anything...
871896
I live in an area where there are a lot of racoons and other critters and have never had a problem with them getting into the bin. The two doors to access the bin have a tight seal so it is not possible for animals to get in them.
1548948
My door is hollow and catches at times. I would say no it is strong but would not help if the door itself is weak.
475818
Not mine, but a particularly motivated cat with some heft behind it might... Mine opens doors and still hasn't figured it out after a few years of daily use, so I'd say its highly unlikely...
1511864
I don't think so, but i"m not sure. The chickens I've known are pretty aggressive and pushy and could push their way in or under.
1136339
Hi---We use ours for mini lop bunnies and the opening is fine for them, so should be fine for the chickens. I actually bought a child's wooden play house from Costco for my chickens. It is sturdier, much bigger, and the materials are better and fastened with screws instead of staples. It was less money too! Since you can stand up in it, it is much easier to clean also.Just add some dowels for perches, and a few nesting boxes, then put some chicken wire in the windows if you want to keep predators out.
2073857
The door is very heavy with strong magnets. So it swings well and catches well. I live up in the mountains and during heavy storms you can not feel the wind coming through. Because it closes so well unless my dog is going through it doesn
659660
You would have to attach the box to a wooden frame and then attach a door you can open that closes on to the frame. If you do this, add a spring lock to the door that opens onto the frame so that no raccoons or predators can get in...as they will try. You would not want to attach the boxes to a door that opens as a hen could be in one when you open and get trained to not use the box in fear if the box swings. That said, if you do not want to attach the box to a wooden frame that's open, it's actually easy to walk into the coop and get the eggs from the front for me--depending on your coop configuration. You would have to attach the box to a wooden frame and then attach a door you can open that closes on to the frame. If you do this, add a spring lock to the door that opens onto the frame so that no raccoons or predators can get in...as they will try. You would not want to attach the boxes to a door that opens as a hen could be in one when you open and get trained to not use the box in fear if the box swings. That said, if you do not want to attach the box to a wooden frame that's open, it's actually easy to walk into the coop and get the eggs from the front for me--depending on your coop... » Read More You would have to attach the box to a wooden frame and then attach a door you can open that closes on to the frame. If you do this, add a spring lock to the door that opens onto the frame so that no raccoons or predators can get in...as they will try. You would not want to attach the boxes to a door that opens as a hen could be in one when you open and get trained to not use the box in fear if the box swings. That said, if you do not want to attach the box to a wooden frame that's open, it's actually easy to walk into the coop and get the eggs from the front for me--depending on your coop configuration. « Show Less
1877098
It all locks up tight. I have raccons and opossums in my back yard, and my chickens are safe. Its not very weather resitant, when it rains the door for the chickens swells and is so hard to open and close. It got very annoying for me trying to close it up at night, i just gave up and left it open. But my chicken coop is inside of a dog run, which i found to be a better saftey option, and they cant eat my olants while i am away.
680214
The door will not keep out raccoons. The single latch on the inside middle of the flap is the only thing preventing the door from opening, and it is not enough to keep the door closed from a determined raccoon. The raccoon keeps pushing on the corners and working with the door until it pops open. I have video of this happening.