Benefits of using automatic chicken coop door
In addition to using chicken wire fences and setting traps for predators, there are several other things you can do to provide a secure and safe run for your birds. One of these is an automatic chicken coop door.
An automatic chicken coop door allows your birds to come inside the coop at dusk and leave the coop at dawn as they please. This way; they are safe from predators and do not have to rely upon you to do this job.
There are many benefits of using an automatic chicken coop door
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It allows your pets to truly free-range
There is a certain amount of commitment involved when you want your birds to free-range.
You must make sure to open the coop’s door and let your birds out at the crack of dawn.
Likewise, you need to take the flock into the coop before it gets dark to keep them safe. With an automatic chicken coop door, you are assured that your birds get to come and go as they please without needing your help.
You can save money on chicken feed
When your girls have access to lots of forage, you will save a ton of money on chicken feed.
Keep your flock safe from predators
No more losing your girls to predators like wild-dogs, feral cats, racoons, possums, foxes, etc. With a timer-based coop automatic door system, you are assured of keeping your hens inside the coop, as soon as it gets dark.
Good quality, sturdy doors are also difficult to lift; so, no crafty predator can get inside the coop to harm your babies.
No more waking up early or rushing home in the evenings
Most coop owners have experienced the pain of having to cut their plans short and rush home each evening to secure their birds. They also know how difficult it can be to wake up (especially on cold winter mornings) to let their ‘early-rising’ birds out to forage.
With an automatic chicken coop door opener, the coop’s door can be opened and secured at the pre-set times. This allows you to travel out of town, enjoy a night out, or simply snooze a bit longer in the mornings.
Features to look for in automatic chicken door kits
Here are the features to look for in automatic chicken door kits
Ease of installation
Most automatic chicken coop door kits contain everything you need to attach the door to your coop’s opening. Check the reviews to ensure there is no need for any extra hardware, complicated wiring, and difficult programming.
Some kits are especially made for swinging doors; others are made for up/down doors. Make sure you take your coop-doors’ opening and dimensions into account before making a purchase.
Safety of your babies
Automatic chicken doors should close and open safely and slowly so that your birds can easily get out of or into the coop. They should also come with a sensor so that if an object is jammed in the doorway, the door’s alarm should notify you right away.
Mode of operation
Automatic chicken coop doors can be solar-powered, battery-operated, or run on electricity. Each one comes with their pros and cons.
In case of solar-powered automatic chicken coop doors, the units have to be reprogrammed every few months to conform to changing daylight hours. Sometimes, such doors do not function well if the coop is in the shade or if you have cloudy/rainy days.
Electric doors can also fail to work if there is a power outage. Therefore, all automatic coop door units should come with a facility of manual-operation in case of power failure.
Best Automatic Chicken Door
1. JVR Automatic Chicken Door Coop Opener Kit
JVR automatic chicken door is suitable for chicken and duck coops. It is easy to install and needs no special cabling or wiring. Birds can also use this automatic chicken door easily as it opens in the morning and shuts in the evening.
Pros
- Made with sturdy aluminium alloy. Even black bears cannot lift the door owing to its sturdy linear actuator arm.
- Comes with a 1-year warranty.
- Easy to install
- Lightweight
- Value for money
- The controls are in a box that can be latched close. This way; birds cannot get at the controls. The box is also weatherproof.
- Keeps predators like foxes, racoons, bears, and wild dogs away from the coop.
- Door moves slowly and is very quiet.
- Best-selling automatic chicken door on top retail sites.
Cons
- Most coop owners had to make modifications during installation. The primary one being: installing it on the outside of the coop rather than the inside.
- Some users found dead chickens in the coop; apparently the default settings on the door have to be reprogrammed else the door can open at the wrong time.
- In some cases, the noise-free operation of the door turned out to be a bane as it crushed sleeping birds underneath.
2. Titan Incubators Automatic Chicken Coop Door Opener
If you are tired of getting out of bed each morning to release your flock or rushing home each evening to put them back in; worry no more!
Titan Incubators automatic chicken coop door is fully integrated and automatic. It comes with a LCD screen, battery-powered operation, and a super easy installation. No more playing chicken-sitters!
Pros
- High-quality materials manufactured in the UK
- No wiring or complicated installation needed – very simple set up
- Great customer service – 2 year warranty
- Long battery life; comes with an indicator too.
- Very easy installation
Cons
- Poor quality string that breaks within few uses.
3. Add-A-Motor – Chicken Coop Automatic Door Accessory Motor – Model D20-120V
Add-A-Motor automatic chicken coop kit comes with a motor, mounting hardware, detailed installation instructions, universal door connector, and AC power adapter.
Pros
- This automatic chicken coop accessory can work on plastic, wooden, or metallic doors. It can also work on heavy doors (up to 10 lb) thanks to powerful motor.
- Customizable
- Easy installation
- Safe for the birds – closes very slowly. It also comes with additional safety feature in the even the door is jammed.
- Easy to install
- Lightweight, long-lasting, extremely durable.
Cons
- Inconsistent; many coop doors did not open or close on this.
- Motor performance is also lackluster
4. Happy HenHouse Automatic Chicken Door Opener Kit
Happy HenHouse chicken coop automatic door opener kit contains everything you need to make sure your flock can get out of the coop each morning. You can choose between a timer function or rely upon sunlight to operate the door.
This modern and fully-automated chicken coop door with patent pending technology will keep your birds safe from predators. It also has a sensor to stop from closing in case a bird happens to be in the doorway.
Pros
- 100% risk-free purchase; place your order with confidence.
- Easy to install
- Kit includes controller, actuator, remote light sensor, door, rails, AC power adapter, hardware, and setup instructions.
- No more getting up early in the cold or making trips out in the yard at night to ensure the safety of your flock.
- Lightweight yet sturdy, this automatic chicken door opener also works even if the power fails. The system resets itself once the power is restored.
- The sensitivity setting is also customizable.
- Controller comes with a cover; birds cannot tamper or peck away at the buttons.
Cons
- Some units quit working after a few days
- Can only be installed from inside the coop. This could be an issue for certain coop-designs.
5. Automatic Chicken Coop Door Opener with Motor and Timer
The coop door from Automatic Chicken Coop Door Company is fully customizable – you can adapt it to meet the needs of your coop. Open wider for larger birds and narrower for smaller ones.
Pros
- Heavy-duty motor can lift up to 40lb
- Buy this automatic chicken coop door completely risk-free; it comes with a 1-year warranty.
- There is no complicated programming involved; install the door within 15 minutes.
- The kit includes metal door, guide tracks, motor, timer, hardware, connectors, and AC adaptor. You also get detailed instructions for installation.
- Lightweight yet sturdy
- Value for money
Cons
- Noisy, rattling operation while opening and closing
- Timer included either opens the door or closes it; it does not do both.
6. AdorStore ADOR1 Automatic Chicken Coop Door with Battery
AdorStore automatic chicken coop door is designed and manufactured in the US. It is made with heavy-duty, galvanized steel construction, and does not need any complicated programming.
Pros
- Excellent customer service, reps are available to reach out to you via text, call, etc
- Ensures peace of mind
- Value for money
- Easy to install
- Sturdy and durable
Cons
- Battery is not long-lasting
- Some units trapped the chickens.
7. ChickenGuard Self Locking Predator Resistant Chicken Coop Door
ChickenGuard self-locking chicken coop door claims to be the world’s first self-locking door. Once the door is fully lowered, the locks engage on either side. This way; even crafty predators cannot open the door; so your flock is safe from harm.
Pros
- Weather-resistant; won’t warp, crack, swell with moisture.
- Most parts are made with 100% recyclable materials.
- Sturdy
- Easy to install
- Lightweight – Total weight of the door is 1kg
- Pulley system also allows for the door to be opened and closed manually
- Battery-driven – super easy to program
- Unique self-locking door
Cons
- Expensive
8. ChickenGuard Waterproof Automatic Chicken Coop Door Opener/Closer with Timer/Light Sensor
ChickenGuard Waterproof automatic chicken coop door is fully integrated and comes with a LCD screen. It is available in premium and extreme varieties; the extreme type is recommended for people living in harsh weather since its battery is twice as powerful.
The setup is simple and there is no complicated wiring or cabling. Like all ChickenGuard products, this automatic door is weather-proof and free from warping, cracking, and swelling.
Pros
- Sturdy and lightweight
- Easy to install
- Door moves slowly, so your birds are not at risk of getting crushed.
- Durable cord that can lift 1kg and has a breaking strain of 25 kg
- No restriction on minimum/maximum door height
- Weather-proof door that actually hardens and becomes sturdier as it ages!
- 3-year manufacture warranty, 100% money back guarantee
Cons
- A few users faced programming issues
9. Coop Controls Automatic Coop Door Opener Kit
This automatic chicken coop door opener is solar operated and works on swinging coop doors.
Pros
- Automatically opens at sunrise and closes at sunset. There is also a facility for manually opening/closing the door.
- Installs quickly – kit includes everything needed for installation
- Comes with a beeping-alarm if something is stuck in the doorway.
- Useful for right or left swinging doors.
- Weather-resistant door
Cons
- No instructions provided – you need to refer to their website for instructions.
- Not designed for installing vertically
- You need to purchase the battery separately (recommended buying 12V, 7 A sealed lead-acid battery).
- If the coop is in a shaded area, the door might not work properly.
- Only designed for doors 16-30 inches wide.
10. Brinsea Products Chick Safe Premium Automatic Chicken Coop Door Opener
Brinsea Chick Safe automatic chicken coop door opener is a fully-integrated system with timer and light sensor. It’s unique, fail-safe operation comes with a 2.5lb door-lifting capacity.
Pros
- Quick and easy installation; door alignment is also easy
- Buttons are easy to operate compared to other automatic chicken coop door openers
- Very-well labelled internal electronic connections; so there is no chance of going wrong
- Comes with a USB port that can hook up to electric power if desired.
- Risk-free purchase with 100% money-back and 2 year warranty
- Reliable even in harsh winters
Cons
- There is no light sensor; so you need to constantly remember to keep changing the timer in order to ensure your birds go in and come out on time.
- Poor customer service from Brinsea
11. Incubator Warehouse Auto-Coop Ultimate Chicken Coop Door Kit with Controller
Incubator Warehouse automatic chicken coop door is made with weather-proof fibreglass door, 1-year warranty, and has a powerful motor.
Pros
- Easy to install and use
- Sturdy and durable
- Door closes slowly, so your birds are safe
- Weather-resistant unit
- Programming the door is intuitive and easy
- Friendly and helpful customer service
Cons
- Cord length is too short
Conclusion
Chickens are defense-less at night-time when predators are active. That is why; all chicken coops needs an automatic chicken coop door.
An automatic chicken coop door can open and close the coop’s pop-door, securing the flock inside the coop at dusk and letting them into the run at dawn.
It also guarantees you peace of mind since you no longer have to rush home in the evening or get up early.
We hope the above reviews help you can select the best automatic chicken door for your needs.