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FAQs

A list of our Frequently Asked Questions – please check below before contacting support.

Yes you can with a USB charger (on all models shipped after 1st of July 2017)

The LED light works on a voltage basis and cannot give a false reading. Please check that the replacement batteries used are new and fully charged.

This is normal. The LCD display ‘goes to sleep’ after a period of inactivity in order to reserve battery life. You can ‘wake up’ your unit by pressing MENU.

All of our units are thoroughly tested before they leave the factory. Please ensure that you have not pinched the battery cable wire between the lid and the box and that you have correctly inserted 4 x AA batteries. Check that the batteries are new and fully charged, have a good connection and that they are oriented correctly. Please note that we don’t recommend using Duracell batteries. Lastly, check that you haven’t inadvertently loosened any connector cables whilst fitting.

If the ‘door jam’ message appears repeatedly, this indicates that your motor is having difficulty lifting your door. This could be for one of two reasons; either your door is not sliding easily on the runners, or you have a tangled cord. Please check your runners, the weight of the door (waterlogged wooden doors weigh almost twice as much as a dry door) and also have a look inside your unit to make sure your cord is wound correctly on the spindle. Please note that you will not be able to re-calibrate the door with the lid removed. Finally, simply removing the batteries will not clear a ‘Door Jam’ message, you will need to clear the obstruction.

Your light sensor is designed to activate your door over a gradual light change, so that it does not open the door in a lightning storm or in car headlights, for example. The sensor takes an average reading every 3 minutes to account for this; therefore, simply covering the light sensor with your hand will not activate the sensor. Also please note that if your ChickenGuard is positioned near a floodlight or street light, this will affect your sensor so you may need to orient it in a position with less ambient light.

No, the time does not change automatically. This means you will have to change the time and LUX settings on your unit when the clocks go forward or back.

This is a rare problem that occurs very occasionally. We can either send out a replacement spool/spindle – you will need an allen key to remove the existing spool/spindle and replace with the new one – or you can return the unit to us for repair.

Yes, but the light sensor function will not work inside the coop.

ChickenGuard units are being used in over 42 countries across the world, with users in Russia, Canada, Australia, and in the USA, from Hawaii to Alaska. The weatherproof unit has proven to be reliable in the most extreme of temperatures and weather conditions.

If the item is found to be faulty it will be repaired, or replaced, free of charge, subject to being within the 3-years warranty period.

If the item is out of warranty, but cannot be repaired, we can offer you a 30% discount on a new ChickenGuard product.

If you purchased a ChickenGuard unit earlier than May 2017 then you will need to unscrew the front panel and have a look at the spool; check to see if the left hand spool has fallen off. If it has fallen off then the magnet is not in position with the sensor on the front panel. This means when you are attempting to complete a door calibration, the spool is not situated correctly for the sensor to count the revolution.

Or, if you purchased your ChickenGuard unit from May 2017 – If during the door calibration process you are keeping the front panel unattached and to the side to see what is going on inside then this is incorrect. As the magnet and spool were not aligned during the door calibration; the revolution count remained at 0. So when the display reads the door will fully open and the door doesn’t move it’s because the count remained at 0; therefore the unit thinks it has opened and says ‘calibration complete’.

If the magnets from the spool are in the correct position and you are still unable to calibrate the door then contact ChickenGuard support team who can assist you further

No, you don’t.  If you want to change the time or even your open/close settings then when you see ‘Setup Wizard’ on your display, instead of pressing the menu button press the down arrow.  Each time you press the down button it will navigate you through the different menus.

Check that all batteries are inserted correctly. If so, change all 4 x AA batteries to a new set. If you are only changing two batteries, then the unit will not work as enough power hasn’t been generated. Occasionally customers do not realise, that ChickenGuard units work with 4x AA batteries. In order to access the other two batteries you will need to take the battery holder out. If the problem continues, please contact ChickenGuard.

When performing a door calibration, it is vital that the front panel is screwed on to the unit. The front panel has sensors which need to be aligned with the magnets from the spindle. If they are not, at the end of the door calibration the display will read ‘The door will fully open’ and straight after say ‘Calibration Complete’; but the door doesn’t move. This is because the sensor was unable to count the revolution and the count remained 0. If this is not the case, then I would suggest unscrewing the front panel and checking the string is on the spindle and flowing behind the spindle and coming out of the hole at the bottom of the box.

Yes, it is possible (subject to availability). Please note, if the unit is one of the older models/designs we have limited parts available.

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