While you can also add a helpful one-inch material strip at the bottom of the door, which will stop predators from getting their fingers under it, but it's not necessarily enough of a solution. The primary purpose of a chicken coop door is to keep the chickens inside while also keeping predators out.Īs far as security, pull-string models can do an okay job when closing and opening the door to your chicken coop, but it may not do the best job in keeping out a smart raccoon from sneaking in at night. In cold climates, the weather is a very important consideration when choosing the right automatic chicken coop door opener. Solar-powered light sensors can be triggered by a change in atmospheric conditions that will close the door and open it again at dawn When combined with a light sensor, you get a great system that follows the season, but also includes a failsafe mechanism that can operate in the event that the solar power light sensor cannot open the door. To be able to catch the morning sun, you want to make sure the sensors are placed carefully so that it faces west. This can include car headlights passing by or really bright moonlight. In comparison, a light sensor is light sensitive, so it's important that there are no other light sources around the coop, which can cause the door to be triggered to open at night. Often, you will find the time-based on option on a system that also offers a light sensor, which can be a great mix of the two systems. This is a more affordable option in comparison since it uses a timer for operation. You can also vary the closing and opening time of the door based on your need, the day, or the season. Time-based systems are cheaper than the other models, and it is more dependable and programmable.

Automatic chicken door size