ChickenGuard Classic Door Kit Combi - 'Extreme' Auto Coop Door Opener Plus Aluminium Pop Hole Door with Oak Runners, Indoor/Outdoor Automatic Chicken Coop, Backyard Hen House Accessory

I read all the reviews and searched for similar products before ordering. $249 seemed steep for an aluminum plate, two wooden runners, and a simple motor that winds a spool of string, but the programmable features and ease of use (as well as a lack of suitable alternatives) makes it worth it.The good: install took me about half an hour all told. I pre-drilled and counter-sunk the runners to keep them from splitting. The instructions were fine and the controller was easily programmed just by following along. It can be set to Timer, Manual, or Lux (sensitivity to light) for raising and lowering. Since I mounted mine on the inside I set it for Timer. Worked perfectly every time. Not having to go outside and let them out in the morning or lock them up at night makes up for all the additional expense.The “could be better”: The runners are solid red oak, and I would have preferred something outdoor-rated to protect against the elements. I would suspect these might swell with humidity and precipitation, and that could impact the ease of opening/closing. I decided to mount ours on the inside of the coop since our existing door has been frozen shut before with a combination of ice and snow. I can’t imagine this door being reliable in those conditions. If your door is not protected from the elements and you live in a cold climate, I would give consideration to an inside-mount.All in all, I would buy again if we decide on a second coop. Eat the one-time expense and start sleeping in on the weekends. :)

$18 worth of Chickens and $1000 in housing and security but I have happy chickens 🐥. The automatic door works perfectly

You’d think for $250 you’d get a product that works without default. However, the design of this product is not suitable for outdoor use (even though this is an exterior chicken door). The side panels that the door slides up and down are made of wood, meaning they expand/contract with heat and moisture. Within a couple months after installing, the door would no longer close itself because the wood expanded too much and the door would get stuck about halfway down. We even reinstalled the side panels further apart, but that only fixed the problem for a few weeks. If we reinstall the panels further apart, as soon as winter hits and the temperature and humidity drop, the panels will be too far apart for the door to even reach making them unusable. As a result, we use the door to automatically open up the chickens in the morning, but have to manually close the door each evening to push the door along the side panels. This problem could have easily been fixed if they had 1) made the side panels out of metal or 2) still used wood, but made the slits for the door to slide along wider and deeper. Very disappointed in how much we spent expecting convenience, yet still have to close our chickens every single night. Note: been using the door for 4 months. If you can find a different door, even if more expensive, I highly recommend it as you won’t get the results you intend with this product.

i ordered this automatic chicken door opener with such enthusiasm, I received it and my first thought was ...unfinished " wooden rails " ???? won't they swell when wet ??? oh well installed it, worked well ....until it rained all day, the wood swelled too tight for the door to slide up or down...concept is good, but i'm gonna have to do some johnny homemaker adjustments on it. Customer service was wonderful and i will definitely order this product again, even though it was a bit pricey for what I got.Im gonna make some metal rails for it, but i love the idea of the dusk to dawn opening.

This is one of the best purchases that I have ever made on Amazon! That is saying a lot, because I buy nearly EVERYTHING on Amazon. I bought this to care for our free range chickens, when we are at our other home (2 days per week). You see, our chicken flock have spent their entire lives 100% free range, where they have complete freedom to roam wherever they wish, without fences, cages or otherwise. There is a coop and run, but the previous owner of our farmstead left them opened. He had an anti-predator dog roaming the property. We do not have such a dog, but we want the chickens to be completely free range, so I ordered this door/opener. Our chickens, (all but two), wander into the coop and roost for the night, after they finish chickening for the day. The other two roost in a tree...not ideal in our area, but free range is free range, and they've lived several years like this, so who am I to question?I received the door and opener, and installed it onto our coop. Super simple instructions, and installation for me. I had an issue where the sensor mode did not work correctly in Lux+ mode, so I emailed Chicken Guard. They immediately sent me a replacement part, and did not require me to return the defective component. I have the unit set to close automatically when the light Lux level drops to 80 (or barring that, at 8:00 PM). The door closes perfectly on queue. I set it to open at 7:00 AM, which it does flawlessly. My chickens now have complete freedom. They can choose to wander the property, and come to the coop, or not, as they wish. This was not possible given our current situation, without the Chicken Guard.

Despite the "great" reviews, l had very very bad luck with this very very expensive door. The batteries lasted a month, and the unit did not "blink" and warn me to change them . I lost 6 valuable hens to a predator who ripped their heads off when the door did NOT close at night and raccoons came in and tortured-killed my chickens. What a nightmare! I only used the auto. door for 4 months. BUYER BEWARE- l am being told that this is somehow MY fault so no refund. $250 for 6 dead chickens is unacceptable. This product is not foolproof as the advertisements imply,and the "warranty " is a joke.

I made a simple mistake of not checking my coop to see whether the guard could be easily installed.Had to adapt my coop front entrance for it to fit. But once installed it was the easiest product ever to programme.And to see it in action was fantastic.Does exactly what the manufacturer says it can do.Peace of mind knowing if it’s going to be a hot day the chickens will be let out at day break and if out for the evening knowing all I have to do is check when I get home none of the chickens have been left out.Best product I’ve bought to dateFollow onto to my previous reviewToday’s date 21-09-2020I have since built a bigger coop seeing as the chickens have outgrown their previous home.And the door guard has been attached onto their newer house and it is Still going strong. (New house is approx 12 months old)Not even changed the batteries yet.Same batteries for well over an year.I have two smaller coops which I have new additional chicks but at the present time can not afford a second door and hopefully the chicks will inter grate with the older hens and move in with them.I would definitely buy another If the purse strings weren’t so tightIt’s an amazing product and worth every penny.

This product is very tidy and works very well. I have 8 hens and if we want to go away for a few days, this door opener and shutter is excellent. Nice to be able to alter timing of opening and shutting without too much hastle. Only have to ask someone to visit to collect eggs once a day instead of three times a day. As days get shorter this will be useful at Christmas time as we will be able to visit our family without having to leave early to get home. This has been a very good buy for us.

Easy to install and, if need, to make some adaptation. I placed inside the chicken coop to avoid temptation from the walkers and is working as suppose to, like a Swiss clock! We are very pleased in deed!

Very good well made product. The aluminium door is good and runners are made from hardwood. A little bit tricky to adjust settings but overall a very good product

Brilliant, had to adjust door fittings to accommodate but works a treat