I bought a $70 automatic coop door and it's been a game changer for my early mornings

I got it last fall because I was tired of rushing out in the dark to let the girls out before work (I live in Seattle, so the sun comes up late). It opens at sunrise and closes at dusk on a timer, which has been perfect. I haven't had a single predator issue since, and my sleep is way better. Anyone else using one and have tips on winter battery life?

3 comments

3 Comments

terry_thomas22d ago

Tbh, the five minutes Lilychen is talking about feels like an hour when it's 40 degrees and raining sideways at 7am. My old routine was putting on boots over my pajamas and hoping the raccoons hadn't figured out the latch. Now I just watch the door open from my kitchen window while my coffee brews. It's less about saving time and more about not starting the day soaked and annoyed.

lilychen22d ago

Honestly, I just let my chickens out when I get up. It's a door. How much time are we really saving here, five minutes? I feel like we're solving problems that don't exist. Next we'll have an app to automatically scatter the feed.

butler.mark4d ago

The real win for me was during that ice storm last month. My driveway was a sheet of glass for three days, and I couldn't have safely made it to the coop. That door meant my birds were still on schedule without me risking a broken hip. It's cheap insurance for bad weather or if you ever get sick.