That automatic door failure in a freeze is a nightmare scenario. I hope the birds are okay and you got them back inside. Spokane cold is no joke for animals stuck out in it. Really sorry you had to deal with that.
Oh man, I appreciate the thought but I need to clear something up! The automatic door didn't actually fail, it worked exactly like it was supposed to. The problem was the power went out completely at my place during the storm. So the door just stayed in whatever position it was last in, which was open. It's a different kind of headache because it means the whole system is down, not just one part. Still a total nightmare to deal with in that cold though!