Roosters may prefer a larger chicken door If you do ever leave your people-sized door open, make sure you have it securely held.įor more information on pop door ramps, check out my article, Chicken coop ramps: Your ultimate guide. If a chicken were in the doorway, this would certainly injure, if not kill, her. One last thing, my chicken coop people-sized doors tend to catch the wind and slam shut. Wet coops can also lead to cold chickens and frostbite. Wet organic bedding (such as straw or pine shavings) is a breeding ground for pathogens. Not only does a wide-open door let cold air in, it also allows rain, snow, and wind inside.įor your chickens to be healthy, they need their coop to be draft-free and dry. Leaving a large door open during the day is a particularly bad idea during cold months or inclement weather. The chicken coop needs to be protected from predatorsĬhickens want privacy in the coop, particularly if they are laying eggs The chicken coop needs to be protected from the elements Why can’t the chickens just leave and enter the coop through this door? Some beginners wonder why they can’t just leave the large coop door open during the day. Batteries are a good back-up option in case of power outages or solar panels not functioning.Why can’t chickens just use the people-sized door? My view? Always buy a unit with a battery option, even if you intend to use one of the other power sources. Otherwise it's a question of remembering to review battery life every four to six months. Some automatic pop doors have a "low battery" indicator. The disadvantage to batteries is not realising they're about to stop working. Most pop doors will operate for around six months from four small (AA) batteries. Batteries avoid the need for electricity, which can be a potential source of fire, and they're an inexpensive option. Most control boxes have a battery powered option - in fact, any product that doesn't should really be disregarded. The only real disadvantage is the possibility of a power outage, and forgetting that the pop door would then need to be manually lowered or raised. If your chicken coop is near an electricity supply, this may be a good option for you. However, products which have this option can be expensive.Īnd although small solar power panels don't need constant sunshine to perform adequately, they can be inconsistent in the winter, or in areas that tend to be overcast.Įlectricity as a power source for your chicken coop pop door. Now let's move on to review features you need to consider before buying. At worst, you could be buying a product which will actually damage your chickens. Some are made in China and are poor quality. Price: Be very careful of cheap automated pop doors. Always look for details of operating conditions. Equally, if you regularly have heavy rain make sure the control box is waterproof. Weather: if you live in an area where temperatures drop below freezing regularly, be sure the model you're considering is able to cope. Make sure you choose a model which has a motor which controls the speed the door closes. These are far more likely to trap a chicken who's coming into the coop a little late. Gravity feed: Some models rely on gravity to close. Whether you decide to buy the Chicken Guard or any other model, there are features you need to take into account for your individual situation.īefore we look at features offered by different models, consider these three cautions. If a hen gets caught by the edge - and none of mine ever have - they'd have plenty of time to either get into the coop, or withdraw.įeatures to look for in any automatic pop door. As long as you buy the right model, the door won't just drop - it lowers very slowly.Some chicken-keepers worry that their hens will be "guillotined" by the closing door.Of course, if opening the coop and watching your chickens run out to meet the day is a source of great pleasure for you, that's fine - stick with a manual door which you open and close yourself.īut an automatic door has changed my life (and my chickens') for the better - and it could change yours, too. Have you wanted to go away on vacation, or been called away to a family emergency, but you feel bad asking friends or neighbours to call twice a day to let your flock out of the coop?Īn automatic pop door, particularly if it's combined with an automatic feeder, can sort all those issues out.Have you ever been so exhausted that you desperately need a lie-in - but at 4am your hens are kicking up a fuss because it's dawn and they can't get out?.Have you ever had times when you've been unexpectedly detained outside the home and you can't get back to close your flock in for the night? An automatic door takes care of that for you.
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