FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • My door worked for a few months and now it has stopped? The most common technical issue we encounter is people using doors that are too light. The unit will work initially but then the little spring inside will relax and it will no longer detect the doors weight. It must be 400g-1.4kg. It is tricky to weigh your door but try adding some more weight in the form of bolts, some other metal or wood scrap. Try and center this extra weight on your door to keep it moving up and down evenly. 
  • Can I install the unit next to my door instead of above it? Yes. Check out our ALTERNATIVE SETUPS page.
  • The door won't raise/lower, what has happened? Your door may be jammed in its tracks. It's best to make your setup out of metal so that it does not warp and jam over time with weathering. Check the door can slide freely up and down without getting caught anywhere. Also check that the unit is centred above your door to prevent it pulling to one side. 
  • Can you set a timer? Yes but the unit does not operate off of a clock. Rather the unit operates on whether there is light or not. If you set the unit to delay the morning opening it will start counting from the moment it is triggered by the sunrise. 
  • My coop is in the shade, will it still work? Yes, the coop secure door opener only requires a small amount of ambient light to work. The light level at which the door closes can be adjusted to suit different amounts of shading.
  • Is it waterproof? Yes, the unit is designed to be installed on the outside of a chicken coop exposed to the elements. 
  • Is the door included? No, to keep postage costs down we don't sell the doors. Most people make their own doors to suit their coops. There are a few different doors available on eBay if you would like to purchase one.
  • Will the unit work with a Chicken Guard self-locking door? Yes 
  • What is the size  of the Coop Secure door opener? The unit measures 130mm x 130mm.
  • Can I install the unit inside my coop? Some of our customers have done so successfully but your coop has to have windows or an open mesh wall that allows natural sunlight inside.
  • The string inside my unit has broken what should I do? To replace string you can purchase some more from our website. If you fall within the 2 year warranty we will post some out to you free. To replace it you will need 85cm of Dyneema 0.5mm 8 strand fishing line. The guide to installing this can be found in our instruction manual on the SUPPORT page.  
  • Can I add a solar panel and rechargeable batteries? It is technically possible but doing so will void the warranty. Our fist prototype was solar powered. By using low power components we have extended the battery life to 3 years. We decided against the solar option to keep the price down and simplify the installation.
  • What if the door closes on one of my chickens? The door closes very slowly giving them plenty of time to get out of the way. If the door does come down on a chicken only the weight of your door (0.4 - 1.4kg) will rest on the back of the chicken and shouldn't cause any injuries, the door will continue lowering once the chicken moves out of the way.
  • How big can my door be? Your door can be any size as long as it weighs between 0.4 and 1.4kg. The maximum travel of the door is 60cm (from lowered to raised).
  • Can I use Coop Secure for other purposes? We have had some ingenious customers use our invention for lots of different animals. Below is chicken feed protector (By Dave from WA).