Auto Chicken House Door Openers

This is a super little battery operated unit that will open and close your henhouse pop-hole door according to light levels. The VSB is only for opening and closing vertical sliding doors - it will not work for ramps. It fits on the outside of the house and with a draw string will raise and lower the pop-hole door. No more getting up at 5am to let the hens out, or rushing home to close them in..........

Delivered via courier so will require a signature unless we are instructed otherwise.

We include our own instruction booklet which will guide the fitting and setting of the unit. The VSB units will operate vertical sliding doors, or, with the addition of pulleys it will operate some door at different angles (except horizontal doors). The unit has a weight limit of 3kg, so providing your door weigh less than 3kg it will work a door already fitted, it also needs the door to have a weight of less than 200g when closed (this is why it will not work with ramps). Alternatively there is the option of adding the lightweight metal door, shown below, and this is simply fitted in two channels mounted either side of the pop-hole. The VSB unit itself measures approx 5" x 5" and you would need about 2" of space between it and the top of the pop-hole door when open.

The VSB Automatic Opener units are powered by 4 AA batteries (included) which should last approx one year under normal operating conditions.

For our Hobby Henhouses, Handy Henhouses or Maggie's Six you need an internal VSBi. The information pages of each Flyte so Fancy house will say which VSB units are suitable, but The Cottage and Annie's Coop/Ark cannot have a VSB fitted.

Details as for the external VSB, but this is mounted inside the house (as is the sliding door) and a small cable carrying a light sensor is placed on the outside of the house and connected to the VSB. This makes the whole unit much less obtrusive. (Batteries included).

Delivered via courier so will require a signature unless we are instructed otherwise.

Please note - not all houses can have a VSB fitted inside, you need to check the space above your current pop-hole to make sure it can be fitted, or, by using pulleys (below) there are several options when space is awkward. The internal VSBi unit fits all Flyte so Fancy Henhouses (except Haven which needs external; Cottage and Annies Ark/Coop-not possible at all).

A Digital Battery Timer suitable for use with the VSB Auto Door Openers. This is a very useful idea to add to the VSB Door Opener units especially if you don't want the automatic door to open at the crack of dawn (hens and cockerels can disturb the neighbours at 4am in the summer!).

You can set the timer to open the door at say, 6am, and then close as normal at dusk. It works off two ready-installed AA Batteries, is easy to install and comes with full instructions.

Easily fitted lightweight aluminium door for use with the VSB internal or external Door Openers (above). Can be fitted inside or outside henhouse. Consists of two aluminium runners and one flat aluminium door. You can cut the door and runners down to a custom size if required.

FSF Guide: Maggie's Six and Dozen Henhouses use a Medium Door (owing to the size of the pop-hole on the Maggie's 24 we have to make a lightweight wooden door to fit - please state during ordering if for a Maggie's 24). Hobby Henhouses use a Med Door; Handy Henhouses use a Medium Door.

Select size required from drop down box above.

Small size - to fit pop-holes up to 22cm wide x 33cm high
Medium size - to fit pop-holes up to 30cm wide x 40cm high.
Large size - to fit pop-holes up to 33cm wide x 55cm high

This VSB-SA unit is specifically designed for duck houses because they don't normally go into their houses on their own as chickens do.

With this unit you can manually shut the door before night fall. To operate the unit simply hold the magnet against the red dot on the case until the door is shut, this over-rides the light sensor that would normally close it. You can also add a timer to this unit for opening in the morning.

All other details are as for the VSB units above.


Related products:

Price is per pulley.

Small plastic pulley to aid the placement of the VSB for non-vertical pop-hole doors, or where there is non enough space above the pop-hole to attach the VSB. Pulleys are 35mm in diameter.

FSF Tip: If using pulleys with your VSB unit you may require extra cord (see below) to attach to the main cord. This will make sure that you can still install the unit with the door in the open position and have the right amount of cord without a strain on the VSB motor.

Price is per pulley and includes postage.

Large Pulley for use with the VSB Door Opener. The large pulley is placed at right angles to the house wall and is used for very large doors to give extra leverage or, where the cord needs to be held away from the house and perhaps changes direction through 180 degrees or to overcome an obstacle.

Aids the placement of the VSB for non-vertical pop-hole doors, or where there is non enough space above the pop-hole to attach the VSB directly above the door. Extends 55mm. Bracket is 54mm wide x 43mm high.

2 metres of very strong, green cord for VSB Door Opener units with a 40 lb breaking strain.

External light sensor cable for VSB units. If you want to convert an external VSB unit to for internal use then this is the cable you need, or, if you just need to replace an existing cable.

The cable is exactly 1m in length and houses a photo cell in one end, also included is a black cap for covering the photo cell on the circuit board inside the unit. You simply attach the cable to two of the pins inside the VSB box, cover the internal light sensor, place the external light sensor on the outside of your house and it will then close the door at dusk.