PSA: My new automatic chicken door tried to kill my rooster last night

I was dead set on keeping my automatic coop door after spending $80 on it. But last night around 3am I heard this awful squawking from my backyard in Denver. Ran out with a flashlight and found my rooster, Gus, trapped half in half out with the door clamped on his back. The sensor failed to detect him. I unplugged the whole thing right there and manual latched it. Now I'm back to closing the coop myself at dusk, which is annoying but way safer. Anyone have a brand that actually works without crushing birds?

2 comments

2 Comments

zarapalmer4d ago

Gus is lucky you woke up. I had pretty much the exact same scare with my black copper marans last spring. $120 down the drain on a fancy wifi model that decided to close early one evening with my favorite hen still inside. I spent two hours disassembling the track with a screwdriver at midnight. Now I just use a cheap light timer hooked to a regular door, no sensors no wifi nothing. It opens at dawn and closes an hour after sunset, and I keep a manual latch backup just in case. Way less stress honestly.

miabennett4d ago

Different strokes, but my wifi model’s saved me more grief than it’s caused so far.