One of the major tasks you can have when rearing chickens is opening and closing door of the chicken coop to either release the chickens or lock them in at night. It becomes even worse when you are busy out late, and there is no one to lockup you chickens. Of course, your chickens will then be at risk to predators. There is a solution to this.
Investing in one of the best automatic chicken coop door openers would be the solution. Your chickens will come in and out of their premises at will without your involvement.
You can install an automatic chicken coop door opener to control the chicken coop door so that it can open and close automatically.
These reviews of the best chicken coop door openers plus the buying guide will simplify your search to get what would suit your needs within your budget.
Top 5 Automatic Chicken Coop Door Openers
| Name | Lifting Weight | Control | Powered |
| Add-A-Motor (Editor’s Choice) |
10 | Timer | Electrical |
| Cheeper Keeper | 2 | Light sensor, Timer (not included) | Battery |
| ChickenGuard | 8 | Timer, Light senor, manual operated | Battery, Electrical (USB gadgets not included |
| Titan | 2.2 | Timer | Battery |
| Brinsea | 2.5 | Timer, Light Sensor, Manual operated | Battery, Electrical |
#1 Add-A-Motor(Editor’s Choice) – Chicken Coop Automatic Door Accessory Motor Model D20-120V
Add-A-Motor is a coop door opener that will work on a schedule you will choose to set. You will have your chicken closed in and let out at precisely the time you set it to happen. It does this by lifting or lowering the door.
The Add-A-Motor is electrical powered which you can use on multiple doors. You will not only program the set time, but you will customize how you would like it done.
It does not matter whether your chicken coop door is metal, wood, or plastic. You can connect the motor of the chicken coop door opener to make it automatic.
It is powerful enough to lift any door with a weight of up to 10 pounds to open it to 25 inches or even more without using counter-weight so long as the railing is smooth. Its mechanism which has been designed to work like motorized fishing reel includes an AC power adapter, universal door connector, motor, and mounting hardware.
With the easy to understand instructions, you will be able to install it without the need of an expert. It takes only about 15 minutes to set it up and program it according to your time choice and the height of opening the door.
For safety measures, the D20 has a safe connector which prevents your chickens from getting injuries when the door jams or gets frozen closed.
The D20 will allow you the luxury to relax without any worry of having to run out to lock in your chickens or even waking up early to release them out.
PROS
- Affordable
- Installing instructions making it easy to set it up
- You can use the system for multiple doors
- Safety measures connector to prevent injuring chickens in case the door jams
- Can lift a door with a maximum weight of 10 pounds
CONS
- The gears and the seals are made of plastic and therefore not durable
#2 Cheeper Keeper Automatic Chicken Coop Door Opener
This chicken opener is powered by 4-AA batteries that can last for years. It will never stop operating even when there is an electrical power outage or when there is not enough sun to run on solar.
The opener operates on robust system and material despite running on 4 x AA batteries. It does not require any wiring for the system to run. The unit is waterproof with its motor gears made of steel compared to other units that run on plastic gears.
The coop door opener uses AXT-electronic components, auto motor-stop of up to 3 minutes to allow chickens pass through, overload safety device. It also has a sturdy housing and seals.
It has UV protection and therefore cannot be damaged by solar when you install it outside. The opener is highly varnished to protect it against moisture, dust and dirt, and ammonia gases. It is also impact resistant and lightning strike-proof.
The automatic chicken door opener kit comes with easy to understand installation manual with diagrams and a video to back it up. It is great when you buy with its door instead of having to make your door to integrate with this system. The system comes with a rust-free stainless steel door.
PROS
- The unit is highly varnished to protect it against weather extremes
- Powered by 4 x AA batteries which are reliable and economical
- Durable kit components
- Easy to read instructions with diagrams and backed up with a video
CONS
- Digital timer comes separately
#3 ChickenGuard – Extreme Automatic Chicken Coop Door Opener
ChickenGuard Extreme operates with a sturdy cord which is capable of taking up to 50 pounds. The door opener has the capacity of lifting a door of up to 8 pounds and integrated with high-quality components of military grade standards.
The good thing about ChickenGuard is that 4 x AA alkaline batteries power it. It can also be electrical powered by using the USB cable and its charger which are optional and therefore not included.
It is operated by a set timer which either opens or closes the chicken coop without going out to do it. The large buttons for setting the operation are large and comfortable to press.
The electronic parts of this door opener have been encased in epoxy resin encapsulation to protect against weather extremes.
ChickeGuard is the simplest chicken coop door opener setup. With no complicated cabling and wiring, you can simply set it up on your coop door by connecting the cord to the door. It is integrated with an LCD screen to monitor the settings, the timer, and the light sensor adjustments.
PROS
- Extreme in design and operation
- High-quality components of military grade standards
- Extreme sturdy cord with 50 lbs breaking strain
- 4 x AA powered which is economical to use
CONS
- The sensor is not sensitive enough to differentiate the real darkness from storm darkness
#4 Titan Incubators New Automatic Chicken Coop Door Opener
The Titan Incubators chicken coop door opener is powered by 4 x AA batteries which makes it operational even during an electrical power outage. The cells do not go for less than 7 months before you have to change them making it more economical.
The new automatic chicken coop door opener is the new elite design of 2021. The system is easy to set up to work automatically by simply setting the current time and the opening/closing time.
The Titan chicken coop door opener can lift and open a door 0.7 pounds and not more than 2.2 pounds. If the door is lighter than this, it is advisable to add weight for smooth opening and closing. It can only open a door vertically since it mostly relies on gravity to work better.
The Titan opener can also work with a wooden door so long as it can slide freely to open and close.
PROS
- Battery powered
- The timer works precisely to the set time
- Can use on any kind of chicken coop door
- Easy to set up
CONS
- Needs a better design to prevent raccoons from getting inside
Brinsea chicken coop door opener operates with an advanced microprocessor control technology. It is powered by 4 x AA batteries or electrically powered using the USB cable. It has a door-closed indicator and a low battery indicator that you can view as far as 100 meters away. It is an all-in-one with a timer for an excellent setting of your times and a light sensor.
The door opener has a lifting capacity of 2.5 pounds and a fail-safe mode for safety in case of any failures in operation. The system is not affected by the weather and especially when dark due to a storm. It also has full manual control of the door whereby you are not limited to automatic control only.
The process of setting it up is easy and quick. Using the manual that comes with the system, you will have to secure the chicken coop opener to the somewhere visible and near the door. Attach the lifting code to the chicken coop door, set the opening and closing timings.
If your area has weather extremes, you then need to go for the extreme model which has military grade electronics and with a motor with high power.
PROS
- Powered by either 4 x AA batteries or electrical using a USB cable
- It is a diy automatic chicken coop door in installation and programming
- The door lifting capacity is sufficient enough
- Fail-safe mode
- Can operate manually
CONS
- The spool for winding the cord is a bit weak and therefore not durable
Chicken Coop Door Openers Buying Guide
Before you go out to buy your chicken coop door opener, it is essential to know how to go about it to avoid any mistakes that might cost you time, money or your birds. Most of these coop door openers are expensive which calls for prudence while shopping for them. Doing so will lead you to the best automatic chicken coop door that will suit your needs.
There are six things to know and consider before buying:
#1 Power control
There are three different sources of powering chicken coop door openers which are:
Electrical
The electrical power source is the best performer. Without interruptions, it can serve you efficiently. Some of the battery-powered automatic chicken coop doors openers can use electrical power as well. It is better to use electrical power and reserve the batteries for when there is a power outage.
Battery
Battery powered would seem the best since it is economical and reliable. It cannot be affected by electrical power outage and neither lack of sun for solar power. Most of this battery powered systems use 4 x AA batteries which can go for up to 7 months. Some of them have low battery indicators to alert you in advance.
Solar
Solar systems are equally sufficient only if you are off-grid or your coop is far from a power source. However, without enough sunshine such as winter season, then it means your coop door opener will not work.
#2 Control System
Coop door openers operate using specific systems. They can either operate using light sensors, time program and sometimes manual.
Light sensors
With the light sensor, it will operate to open the door when there is light and close the door when there is dark. Though this system might work well for the chickens since they also sense light to either come out or go in their coop sometimes, it can work against them.
There are nights with a bright moonlight or motion light such as from a passing vehicle which the sensor can mistakenly open the coop door risking your chicken to predators. Or when there is a big storm in the daytime and suddenly gets dark, then the sensor will close the door locking the chicken outside.
Time program
With the time program, you will have to control the time by yourself, and it will work according to your desire. There will always be periodic changes depending on the seasons when the days are longer or shorter.
#3 Mechanism
Different coop door openers have different opening and closing mechanism. There are two kinds of mechanisms
Motorized lift and motorized close
Motorized lift and gravity close
The best of the two is motorized lift and motorized close. Remember, using gravity to close the door will slide close no matter whether there was a chicken in the midsection entering. But, motorized lift and motorized close have an ‘eye’ or a positive stop to stop closing when there is a chicken in the midsection of the door when it is closing.
Again, the motorized lift and close mechanism have a ‘stopper’ in front of the positive stop that wards off predators from lifting the door.
#4 Door Weight and size
The weight of your chicken coop door must be compatible with the system. Again, some systems come with doors that might be quite small to fit larger chickens. Check on these two issues before settling to your choice of system.
#5 Affordability
What can you afford to buy? You need to buy what you feel you are more comfortable with and which does not stretch you financially.
#6 Reviews and ratings
What do others say about your choice? It is imperative to learn what other people are talking about concerning that choice you have made. Some might have used the system and therefore speaking from experience. Ratings also tell a lot on a specific product. If they are high, then the product is excellent.
Final Verdict
With all these information from both the reviews and the buying guide, you are sure to make a prudent decision on what to buy. Your wise decision will give you comfort and peace of mind while protecting your chicken.
Our final verdict considering the features, users’ reviews, ratings, and even budget settles on Add-A-Motor Chicken Coop Automatic Door. However, your choice is the last word.
What is your final take then? Please share your comments in the section here below.