BEST AUTOMATIC CHICKEN COOP DOORS
10 Best Automatic Chicken Coop Doors in 2023: Complete Buyer’s Guide with Reviews
Are you looking for the best Automatic Chicken Coop door? Read on as we review all the top picks with Pros & Cons.
But first, why should you buy an automatic chicken coop door?
Automatic chicken coop doors have been around for a couple of years now. Are you wondering if they are suitable for you and your chickens? The short answer is: Yes, they can make your life easier and save your chickens’ lives.
1. Chickens are protected from predators
Whether you are a free-range chicken raiser or a fully indoor nature breeder, you must have heard or experienced the invasiveness of the wildlife that is praying on your chickens. One of the best ways to protect them is to install an automatic chicken coop door. This way, you won’t have to remind yourself every day to close the coop.Â
2. Saves you time
If you are raising chicken in the backyard or on a farm, you probably have lots of other activities going on. Using an automatic coop door to let your chickens in and out, you get more time to do other things. Time is valuable – you can never get more of it.
3. You can get more eggs and free time
When you have an automatic chicken door built-in, your coop raising chickens becomes a happy, worry-free activity. Your chickens lay more because they feel safe, and every morning you collect fresh eggs without a care in the world. Waking up early in the morning to open the coop door and staying home in the evening to close it is unnecessary when you have an automatic chicken coop door.
4. Energy efficient
Automatic coop doors can run on electricity, batteries, solar power, or a combination of these three. Battery-powered coop doors are the best choice for most buyers. It is relatively inexpensive and easy to mount, you don’t need an electric installation nor sun to power it.
5. Programmable opening and closing time
Automatic coop doors usually have two modes of operation – light sensor and timer-based. Doors with light sensor technology will automatically open at sunrise and close at dusk or dark. On the other hand, if you have a coop door with a timer, you can configure what time you want them to open or close. Both technology variations have their advantages and disadvantages, so we recommend a door with a light sensor and a timer-based option.
(Image Credit: run-chicken.com)
1. RUN-CHICKEN: Best Coop Door Overall
It was a tight contest, but in our opinion, Run-Chicken edges it as the best coop door on the market. T50 is a new improved model with light-sensing software that enables the door to be fully operational without interference. It is extremely user-friendly and easy to install. It only took us 20 minutes to set up the door, then we tested it in a cold environment and the heavy rain and it still worked as it should. Most of the other products on the market have a small DC motor that coils or uncoils string but this door is sprocket-actuated. No risk of the string wrapping around the motor’s driveshaft and burning the motor or some of the internal sensors. Two AA batteries for powering the door are a great solution for those that don’t have power ran to the chicken coop. We found it easy to adjust the timer to open or close the door earlier or later by using a button on the unit.Â
In short, Run-Chicken T50 model is a sturdy, well-built chicken coop door that works great. It offers all of the flexibility you need while still being very simple to use. Pricing is competitive, too. There are four different colors you can choose from and they are named after chicken breeds which we think are ingenious. Unfortunately, the door comes only in one size, therefore it is not suitable for larger breeds.
Size:Â 13.8 x 9.5 x 1.3 inches
Weight: 2.27 pounds
Light sensor: Yes
Timer: Yes (button, online configurator)
Waterproof: Yes
Power: 2xAA batteries (included)
Color & Material: USA Hen, Rhode Island Red, Buckeye Brown, California Gray (made from aluminum)
Warranty: 1 year
Reasons to Buy
- Easy to install
- Value for money
- Sturdiness
- Elegant design
Reasons to Avoid
- Only one size of the door
(Image Credit: www.omlet.us)
2. Omlet
Omlet is best known for their chicken coop Eglu but they also sell automatic coop door which fits the coop. The doors have a unique feature – they open from side to side. They can easily be installed into a wooden coop because it comes with a frame. They are directly linked to an electric motor with metal gear and are a bit noisy when opening or closing. Wires that connect the door to the panel are exposed, which makes the door less appealing and potentially dangerous. Although the control unit is pretty intuitive to use the programming can be a bit tricky. The product is good and reliable but the price is high in comparison to other automatic coop doors.
Size: 19.3 x 16.5 x 2.3 inches
Weight: /
Light sensor: Yes
Timer: Yes
Waterproof: Yes
Power: 4 x AA Batteries (not supplied), Adapter
Color & Material: Green, Grey; ABS, Zinc Gearing, Steel fixings
Warranty: 2 years
Reasons to Buy
- Easy to install
- Side to side opening
- Compatible with Omlet’s chicken coop
Reasons to Avoid
- Noisy
- Exposed wires
- High price
$189.00 CHECK LATEST PRICE
(Image Credit: from chickenguard.co.uk)
3. ChickenGuard Combi
When it comes to a coop opener Chicken Guard has a lot to offer – door kits, door openers, or a combination package. There are two variations of doors – one is from 100% recycled plastic and the other from American white oak. Door openers are Standard, Premium, and Extreme – only the last one works in extreme weather conditions. Extreme moisture and heat cause wood to expand/contract which can make doors less reliable. Installation of the door took about half an hour, but the setup of the door can be a challenge because the directions are not as clear or complete as we would have liked. However, the doors are very easy to use because the LCD screen lets you make adjustments without struggling. Fortunately, an LCD screen also makes doors more expensive. In short, these doors are sturdy and suitable for all uses because of their flexibility.
Size: 10 x 12 inches
Weight: 4 pounds
Light sensor: Yes
Timer: Yes
Waterproof: Yes
Power: 4 x AA Batteries (not supplied), Adapter
Color & Material: White Oak or Black Plastic, Aluminum
Warranty: 3 years
Reasons to Buy
- Easy to install
- Sturdiness
- LCD Screen
Reasons to Avoid
- Wooden rails
- Difficult setup
- High price
$251.99 CHECK LATEST PRICE
(Image Credit: amazon.com)
4. JVR
JVR has three versions of chicken coop doors – timer version, light sensor version, and smart version that can be controlled with a smartphone app. If you are a tech fan, JVR smart version is the ideal product for you. However, you may have some issues connecting the door via wifi, make sure you have a strong stable wifi signal and 2.4 GHz band (it doesn’t work on 5 GHz). The large LCD screen is easy to read but setting a timer is more complex. If you don’t set it up properly and completely, the door could open at the wrong time. Also, there are some concerns about safety because there is no safety sensor to automatically stop the door when a chicken is standing under. In short, if you are looking for a simple and safe automatic coop door JVR is not right for you. It is overpriced, too.
Size: 11.8 × 12.6 inches
Weight: 5 pounds
Light sensor: No
Timer: Yes
Waterproof: Yes
Power:Â adapter (AC 110V Input, DC 12V Output)
Color & Material: Â silver (metal – aluminium)
Warranty: 1 years
Reasons to Buy
- Easy to install
- Operate over a smartphone
Reasons to Avoid
- High price
- No version of the door with both, timer and light sensor
- Dangerous to chickens
$254.47 CHECK LATEST PRICE
(Image Credit: amazon.com)
5. Happy Henhouse
The Happy Henhouse door is a well-made product, which is a little bit cheaper than some similar products. It is straightforwardly designed, user-friendly, and easy to install. The problem is that there is no locking mechanism to keep the door down once it is closed. It’s made of very lightweight metal, so you just have to push up from the bottom of the door to open it, so there are some concerns about that. Nevertheless, Happy Henhouse Automatic Coop Door is a well-made product and safe choice.
Size: 0.4 x 9 x 24 inches
Weight: 1,6 pounds
Light sensor: Yes
Timer: No
Waterproof: Yes
Power: 4 x AA Batteries
Color & Material: Â White / Metal
Warranty: Â /
Reasons to Buy
- Cheaper than similar products
- Compact and sturdy
- Easy to install (How to videos)
Reasons to Avoid
- Possible lack of customer support
- Some concerns about safety
$169.95 CHECK LATEST PRICE
(Image Credit: coopcontrols.com)
6. Coop Controls
Coop Controls is not only Chicken Door, but the whole coop system. The kit is adaptable to swing-type doors found on most commercially manufactured chicken coops. The system includes an integrated photosensor that triggers the system to open the door at sunrise and close the door at sunset. The solar sensor doesn’t work very well. The door often won’t open or early in the day, which is a little bit inconvenient. Good and very sturdy product, but maybe a little bit too complicated for users who only need doors. Also the price is very high.
Size: 19.5 x 11 x 3.7 inches
Weight: 12.52 pounds
Light sensor: Yes
Timer: No
Waterproof: Yes
Power: 12 V Battery
Color & Material:Â Black, Silver / Aluminium
Warranty:Â 1 year
Reasons to Buy
- Variety of options
- Solar option
- Light weight
- Sturdiness
Reasons to Avoid
- Expensive
- Complicated to use and install
- Needs extra reinforcement in the coop doors
$329.00 CHECK LATEST PRICE
(Image Credit: cheeperkeeper.com)
7. Cheeper Keeper
The heavy-duty steel geared motor is quiet, waterproof, and provides a safe opening and closing of the coop door. The door comes with an auto-detection that helps prevent the chicken from getting hurt when standing in the doorway, however, you can’t overlook the fact that the door looks like a guillotine. There are no cords or wiring needed, but there are also no programming options – the door only works on a light sensor and that can be a problem when doors are mounted inside or in a darker environment.
Size: 23 x 9 x 3 inches
Weight: 3.09 pounds
Light sensor: Yes
Timer: No
Waterproof: Yes
Power: 4 x AA Batteries (not supplied)
Color & Material: Metal, Aluminium
Warranty:Â 1 year
Reasons to Buy
- Sensor for auto-detection of chickens
- Noise level
Reasons to Avoid
- Guillotine design
- High price
- No timer
$249.99 CHECK LATEST PRICE
(Image Credit: amazon.com)
8. Kebonnixs
Kebonnix Automatic Coop door is an interesting solution because the product is way cheaper than most of their competition. The door is made of about 9×9″ thin aluminum and is closed by gravity. This is the most basic door you can get in terms of overall functionality beyond opening and closing a door. The door works with batteries or adapters, which aren’t included in the overall package. We also must mention that you can’t have the power supply and battery at the same time. This door is nothing fancy but does the job.
Size: 23.4 x 11.4 inches
Weight: 2,2 pounds
Light sensor: Yes
Timer: Yes
Waterproof: Yes
Power: 4 x AA Batteries (Not included) Adapter (Not included)
Color & Material: Grey; Aluminium
Warranty: /
Reasons to Buy
- Cheap
- LCD screen
Reasons to Avoid
- Very basic
- A little bit clumsy
- Guillotine design
$99.99 CHECK LATEST PRICE
(Image Credit: amazon.com)
9. Coop Defender Gold Combo
Coop Defender Gold Automatic Chicken Coop Door Kit is an affordable chicken door opener that comes in three different combos. (Wood, Aluminium, Self Locking) Coop defender has Timer and sensor options within an integrated LCD Screen. We found a problem with the power supply, because batteries don’t last very long, and there is no option to manually open the door. Also, the design looks a little bit cheap. Solid product, but there are some better options out there.
Size: 24 x 12 x 5.7 inches
Weight: 2 pounds
Light sensor: Yes
Timer: Yes
Waterproof: Yes
Power: 4 x AA alkaline batteries (included)
Color & Material: White, Grey; Aluminium
Warranty: 1 year
Reasons to Buy
- LCD Screen
- Value for money
- Easy to assemble
Reasons to Avoid
- Comes a little short when compared to other products
$139.99 CHECK LATEST PRICE
(Image Credit: thehappychickencoop.com)
10. Happy Chicken Coop
The door looks nice and sturdy at first, then slowly troubles start showing due to poor quality parts. The light sensor doesn’t work properly and on dark days door’s stayed closed. Batteries indicator is not working correctly (when battery is empty door will stay open and chickens will be in life-danger). The price and functions are in line with similar products, but there are some obvious shortcomings. The door doesn’t have a manual up/down option and the design is not as sturdy as some competitors. Also, there are no batteries included and we needed to reset the unit occasionally to make it work again.
Size: 12 x 10 2.3 inches
Weight: Â /
Light sensor: Yes
Timer: No
Waterproof: Yes
Power: 4 x AA Batteries
Color & Material: Grey; Aluminium
Warranty: Â /
Reasons to Buy
- Easy to assemble
- Weatherproof
Reasons to Avoid
- Cheap parts
- No protection sensor
- No manul opening/closing function
$119.99Â CHECK LATEST PRICE
NOTE !
Prices and information of the products are taken from Amazon on August 20, 2021. Prices and specifications of the products may differ due to changes made by sellers. Please check the official website of the seller or Amazon for the actual price and information about specific products. We do not take responsibility for the accuracy of the prices and other information about products reviewed on this website.