Sensor Controls “Chicken Door”

2013 - Volume #BFS, Issue #13, Page #31

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A machinist and an electrical engineer teamed up to create an automatic door to let chickens go in and out of a hen house after they “got tired of feeding the wildlife” when they forgot to shut the door at night.
After looking at wood sliding doors on the market, they decided they could come up with something better.
The Pullet-Shut Automatic Door is made of aluminum so it won’t rot or rust. The door moves on a hinge avoiding the problem of binding slides. It has no switches that can fail – it’s programmed to open and close with a magnetic sensor or an optional photo sensor.
“A 12-volt battery and charging solar panel or battery maintainer are also available. Another option is a photo sensor that automatically opens and closes at dawn and dark.
“Hold the magnet over the red circle at the time you want it to open in the morning,” Tony Andric, co-inventor, explains. “That evening hold the magnet over the red circled again when you want it to close, and it’s done. It will open and close every day at those times. Or with the photo sensor, just connect power and it’s done!”
The set times won’t be affected if you use the magnet to open or shut the door anytime such as during a storm. To reset open and close times, simply put the magnet in the red circle for 20 seconds.
The door can be adjusted to open as wide as you want, Andric adds. As a safety feature, if a chicken is in the way when the door is set to close, the door will close a minute later.
Installation is simple. Cut an 11 by 15-in. hole, attach the door with screws through pre-drilled holes in the frame, and hook it up to a battery.
Andric and his business partner, Mark George, are building the door completely from aluminum and sell them for $180 plus shipping through their website, which includes YouTube video of the door in operation.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Pullet-Shut Automatic Door, 769 Lovers Lane, Lockhart, Texas 78644 (ph 512 995-0058; www.chickendoors.com).

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Sensor Controls “Chicken Door” LIVESTOCK A machinist and an electrical engineer teamed up to create an automatic door to let chickens go in and out of a hen house after they “got tired of feeding the wildlife” when they forgot to shut the door at night After looking at wood sliding doors on the market they decided they could come up with something better The Pullet-Shut Automatic Door is made of aluminum so it won’t rot or rust The door moves on a hinge avoiding the problem of binding slides It has no switches that can fail – it’s programmed to open and close with a magnetic sensor or an optional photo sensor “A 12-volt battery and charging solar panel or battery maintainer are also available Another option is a photo sensor that automatically opens and closes at dawn and dark “Hold the magnet over the red circle at the time you want it to open in the morning ” Tony Andric co-inventor explains “That evening hold the magnet over the red circled again when you want it to close and it’s done It will open and close every day at those times Or with the photo sensor just connect power and it’s done!” The set times won’t be affected if you use the magnet to open or shut the door anytime such as during a storm To reset open and close times simply put the magnet in the red circle for 20 seconds The door can be adjusted to open as wide as you want Andric adds As a safety feature if a chicken is in the way when the door is set to close the door will close a minute later Installation is simple Cut an 11 by 15-in hole attach the door with screws through pre-drilled holes in the frame and hook it up to a battery Andric and his business partner Mark George are building the door completely from aluminum and sell them for $180 plus shipping through their website which includes YouTube video of the door in operation Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Pullet-Shut Automatic Door 769 Lovers Lane Lockhart Texas 78644 ph 512 995-0058; www chickendoors com

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