My $40 automatic chicken door turned into a raccoon buffet

I saw this fancy door online that promised to open and close with the sun, so I got one for my coop in Springfield. It worked great for about a week, until I woke up to find the door wide open at 3 AM and a raccoon family having a party inside. Turns out, the little motor wasn't strong enough to fully close if a leaf or a bit of bedding got in the way. I lost three of my best laying hens that night. Now I have a very expensive paperweight and a lesson learned the hard way. Has anyone found a truly reliable automatic door that can handle a bit of real world dirt?

4 comments

4 Comments

masondixon2mo ago

Sounds like a cheap sensor problem, not a world ending event.

park.adam2mo ago

Wait, cheap sensors can do that?

rose_young19d ago

Ngl I was all about cheap sensors before but you changed my mind lol

grace_fox319d ago

OH MAN that is a HORRIBLE way to learn a lesson. I hate raccoons with a passion, they are the craftiest little monsters. A lot of people don't think about this but the plastic gears in those cheap motors are the REAL weak point. They strip out super easy if any kind of dirt gets in there. I actually put a little square of nylon mesh over the track on mine to block leaves and stuff, then used a manual lock for backup at night. Seems to help a lot. That combo has saved me more than once because the door has jammed twice and the lock kept it shut.

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