Automatic Chicken Door Openers: A Comparison

I have written before in the Blog and in our Bi-monthly Newsletters, of a continuing and deepening love affair between myself and my bed. Somewhere between the giant fluffy sheep of pillows, a duvet thick enough to send a bear into hibernation and the ability to lay like a starfish, a love affair with sleep has blossomed. The enabler in this secret tryst with Morpheus, is my Automatic Chicken Coop Door Opener, the savior of my Sunday morning slumbers and a vigilant guard over my flock throughout the week.

VSB & ChickenGuard Auto Door Units

Flyte so Fancy has two Automatic Chicken Door Openers available, the well known and established VSB Automatic Door, and the highly functional ChickenGuard Auto Door, that has been around for about a year and half now. The Blogs attention has turned to these units this week for a comparison, to help you decide which might be more useful for you.

Can I put the Auto Door Opener Unit internally?

If you're looking to keep the aesthetic of your hen house, you may want to put the auto door internally on your coop. The VSB unit, thanks to a light sensor cable, can be placed internally, keeping the smart look of your hen house and hiding the whole set up inside. Due to the nature and functionality of the ChickenGuard, it has to be placed on the outside of your coop.

Can I get the Auto Door to open via light or by a timer?

Both the VSB and the ChickenGuard can work off either ambient light or via a timer for opening and closing. However, the VSB can either work off light or a timer and it is an addition to the unit, while the ChickenGuard has a built in timer and due to its increased functionality you can set it to open on the light sensor and close on the timer, or vice versa, however you wish.

If my hens are in before it gets dark can I close up the unit early?

You cannot do this with the VSB unit, but the ChickenGuard does come with override buttons that allows you to open and close the door, the unit then reverts to opening and closing as previously set.

What sort of warranty do the Auto Chicken Doors come with?

The VSB Automatic Door comes with a three year warranty, while the ChickenGuard Door has a two year warranty.

Can I have one of these Auto Doors fitted to my chicken coop?

These Automatic Doors work vertically like a portcullis, so if you want to fit one to your coop, you need the height of the door doubled and then a bit extra for positioning the Auto Door Unit above. Here at Flyte so Fancy we do specialised internal (where possible) and external VSB kits for all of our houses that are compatible. If ordering a VSB or Chickenguard at the same time as your Flyte so Fancy Hen House, then we will fit it for you free of charge. These are;

FSF House Kits Fitted in our Workshop

Flyte so Fancy Aviary
Maggie's Six Hen House
Maggie's Dozen Hen House
Maggie's 24 Hen House
The Dorset Stroller
The Dorset Ranger
Haven Hen House
Handy Hen House
Hobby Hen House
Granary Hen House

ChickenGuard Automatic Door Units have to fixed externally and so will only be compatible with hen houses where there is room vertically to fit one.

Will the Automatic Door Opener work with my chicken coop door?

Both units only work using a vertical sliding door. The lightweight sliding pop-hole doors are a sturdy and secure door of the right weight. These aluminium doors are preferable to thin timber doors which can easily warp and then stick in their runners, which it turn can lead to your unit not functioning correctlty. Some of our kits for our larger hen houses come with specially made timber doors, thick enough not to warp and light enough to be lifted easily. Any door needs to be of the right weight for the specific unit that you are using.

Does a VSB or ChickenGuard need any special tools or an advanced doctorate in engineering to be fitted?

Here at Flyte so Fancy we have compiled easy to follow, fool proof instructions for fitting, programming and setting both the VSB Auto Door Opener and ChickenGuard, available to view on the website at the bottom of the product page or by clicking HERE for the VSB Unit or HERE for the ChickenGuard. Of course, if you order your Auto Door Opener at the same time as you order your Flyte so Fancy Hen House everything will all ready be up and running (fitted free of charge). We are also always on the end of the phone if you have any problems and willing to help with anyone scratching their head.

The two Automatic Chicken Door Openers available from Flyte so Fancy both have their merits and there is a unit suitable for all, making sure that a Sunday morning slumber or that your hens are safe and sound both day and night.


Thanks for Reading
James