Hmm.. how would I test to see if the sensor will be affected by ambient light? The door is covered by a roof if that helps..I'll attach a picture of the wires.I have this green is ground and black is positive. smaller red and black wires go to the actuator. Thanks for your help.

 

Ok so this is getting wired after my 2 channel switch and before the actuator? If so will it matter that my switch works the actuator by reversing the polarity going to the actuator making it go up and down. Or wire it into the one switch that causing it to go down I guess. So I should get this below? Thanks. Anything else before I order?

An Automotive relay and socket: https://www.amazon.com/ONLINE-LED-STORE-Pack-Interlocking/dp/B01KVZ2MU4
Terminals face down. You would normally make connections by soldering and using heat shrink tubing. There is adhesive lined heat shrink. Remove the flux before covering with heat shrink.

A particular terminal is usually reserved for positive. I need to look it up. The diode can be soldered to the terminals of the relay and then the socket can connect to that.

You might want to add an indicator to the coil. e.g. a 10mA LED. These https://www.amazon.com/Indicator-Light-Directional-yellow-Tricolor/dp/B075F6KPNW could be an indicator for your sensor. 1.8W, P=VI; I=1.8/12 is 150mA which is too much, so it won't work.

This https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F2GT3QI will. 18 mA. The LED will allow yu to check the sensor. Your sensor has to e ay "chicken height".

Everybody else that talked about chicken doors apparently had smarter chickens.

The relay would interrupt the power to the Actuator. Meaning it's a switch in the wires leading to the actuator.

If the beam is interrupted, the relay activates and the power to the actuator only is interrupted. Once obstruction clears, the door continues.

If I remember, chickens can't see blue, so a blue LED would be good. Anytime a chicken goes through the door, the LED would be on.

 

update: I ordered an 8 pin relay a while back and finally received it. I wired it to the sensor and tapped into the NO of the closing relay on the wifi switch. It works great. Thanks for everyone's help.

 

I suggest buying your chickens from a smarter gene pool.

The motor-limits.pdf https://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/...-greenhouse-roof-window-control.134958/page-2

Is sort of comprehensive. It's able to give open and closed status as well as moving.

next thing you will want to do is turn on a fan to go in the right direction?

Maybe your actuator moves too slow.

The two SPDT relay system is used a lot for power windows and door locks.

You did it pretty cool.

 

I suggest buying your chickens from a smarter gene pool.

The motor-limits.pdf https://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/...-greenhouse-roof-window-control.134958/page-2

Is sort of comprehensive. It's able to give open and closed status as well as moving.

next thing you will want to do is turn on a fan to go in the right direction?

Maybe your actuator moves too slow.

The two SPDT relay system is used a lot for power windows and door locks.

You did it pretty cool.

Haha yeah well I think they need a smarter owner...the way I built it the one door let's them out and opens the food.. so they want to hang out and eat. I did this to protect the food from rats at night but it makes it more risky for hungry chickens... thanks for your help you guys are amazing

 

When safety is involved (you've already killed 2 chickens!) simple is always best. Your sensor could easily fail for many reasons. So I would suspend the door from a cord (as someone else suggested). Hope the door is not too heavy. Also, I presume the actuator is quite slow! Even a chicken can move quite fast when the sky falls on it's head!