DIY Automatic Chicken Door for under $20.00

This blog post is about my automatic chicken door opener. It is simple to build and will save you time and money. This automatic / automated chicken coop door is as basic as you can get. No complex door circuit's.Building a chicken coop door can be expensive and confusing with the circuits, relays and programing. But my automated chicken coop door design, there is  no confusion.  Below are the chicken coop door plans and instructions and a short video.
My wife wanted chickens this year. being a good husband, I built a chicken coop and bought her chickens. At first, I new nothing about chickens. I still do not know that that much. Little did I know that I had to open the chicken coop in the morning and put them up at night. That mint waking up at 5am every morning, even on my days off. We also had to cut out our evening events  to put up the chickens at night.
 I then thought of some how making an automatic chicken door.  They sell for around $300.00 on line.   I don't have that kind of money. So, I did some brainstorming, came up with an idea and ran with it.  My automatic chicken coop door has been working for about 2 weeks, with out any problems. My idea is simple and vary basic.

Material

1. 2   Submersible water pumps  -
2. 2,  2 gal buckets with lids
3. 2   Electric 24hr Timers
4. 1, 3ft pole. rod or stick
5. 10 ft, rope or cable
6. 2 gal of antifreeze or water (I am using water) use antifreeze if you live where it gets cold.
7. 2, slide rails 
8. 1 door, (my door is 12" x 20") 

I have 1 timer set for 5am, when the the pump turns on, it pumps water into the other bucket. It works as a teeter totter. As the other bucket fills up, it lifts the door allowing the chickens outside.

Then at 9pm. The opposite happens.  The water or antifreeze pumps into the other bucket allowing the door to shut.