Why You Need an Automatic Chicken Coop Door

It has taken me a long time to figure out why someone would go for the extra expense of buying an automatic chicken coop door. It was until I lost my valued chicken to a raccoon that I finally understood why. After purchasing and installing one, I realized that the automatic chicken coop door does more than just keeping the chicken indoors.

In this article, you shall learn why you want to install this critical upgrade to your chicken coop. But, first, let’s define it.

What Is An Automatic Chicken Coop Door?

As the name suggests, an automatic chicken coop door opens automatically at a predetermined time in the morning and shuts at a set time in the evening. Unlike the manual doors that need your physical involvement to open and close, the upgrade features a digital interface that allows you to set the time you want the coop door to open and the time it should close. All this is based on the lifestyle of the chicken.

How It Works 

Automatic chicken coop doors feature a miniature motor in them. If triggered, the motor will begin to run. The winding then pulls the door up and lets the chicken come out, and lowers the door down to close them in. The trigger of the motor is either a light sensor or a timer. For instance, for those who use light sensors, the door will automatically open when the sun rises in the morning. When the sun goes down and darkness sets, the door closes. The motor gets its power from either a battery, electricity, or solar panel. Some models allow you to adjust the opening time after sunrise and closing to be just after dusk. You can check out the best automatic chicken coop doors at Backyardpets.

Reasons Why You Need an Automatic Chicken Coop Door

Now that you know what these gadgets are and how they work, let’s see how they will benefit you if you buy and install them on a backyard chicken coop.

1. While on Vacation 

Vacations are healthy. They help us to unwind after periods of stressful commitment and also allow us to bond with those we care about. But going on a vacation can prove deadly to the chicken you left behind. While you can employ the services of a chicken sitter, it is pretty hard to get someone willing to exert themselves sleeping late and getting up early for the chicken. Furthermore, the services of a chicken sitter are not free. You may end up incurring extra expenses you weren’t prepared for. Such services could cost even more than automatic coop doors. What about feeding your flock? While this may be tricky but you can always ask a willing neighbor to check on the chicken once in a while to provide them.

2. Forgetfulness 

Let’s face it; forgetfulness is natural and normal. You may have had a very long stressful day. Closing the chicken in could be the last thing in your mind. Thus you will be home, yes, but forget to close the chicken coop. An open coop, especially at night, is an invitation to predators such as raccoons, coyotes, minks, stray dogs, wildcats, foxes, and so on. You risk losing all your chicken in a single night. You won’t have to worry about anything if you install an automatic coop door.

3. Being Tired To Wake Up Too Early In The Morning

At times waking up early in the morning to let the chicken out can be tricky. Chicken are early risers, and they can make a heck of noise if you fail to release them. Even if they don’t make noise, you cannot just keep the chicken indoors the whole day. They need to gout and explore. The best way to circumnavigate this is to install an automatic chicken coop door. Then, you will forget the early morning pressure from your backyard pets.

4. Limited Mobility But Strong Desire To Care For Chicken 

Pets are therapeutic in a way. People have been able to survive difficulties and emotional challenges by caring for pets. Chicken can be great companions even to those with limited mobility, especially the senior members of society. In addition, having a few chickens to care for can be therapeutic. However, limited mobility and energy can make it challenging for them to wake up early in the morning, let the chicken out and stay late to see them locked in. An automatic coop door quickly eliminates these problems.

5. Being Late For Any Number Of Reasons 

While we can control what we do, we cannot determine what the future brings. For instance, we can plan to return home eight in time to shut the chicken coop door only to experience an unavoidable delay. You can get an accident on your way home or have a traffic snarl-up delay your arrival home. Your chicken will be at risk of attack by predators. Automatic coop will close at the right time to protect your pets even when you are still miles from home.

6. Keeps Chicken Safe 

All coop doors, whether manual or automatic, can protect the chicken from predators if operated well. However, the automatic upgrade closes smoothly without slamming by heavy winds. This will protect your chicken from unnecessary injuries.

Wrapping It Up

You can appreciate just how important it is to install an automatic chicken coop door. Not only will it protect your chicken, but it also makes your life a lot easier. You can enjoy your sleep and vacation without working about the safety of your flock. Even when you forget or stay late, the birds’ security is guaranteed.