The Best Automatic Chicken Coop Door Opener for 2021

I'm sure you love your hens.  But picture a rainy morning, you're in your pyjamas with a lovely warm cup of tea in your hands.  Your cold wellies seem unappealing, don't they?  That's where the automatic chicken coop door openers come in.  They will let your hens out when the sun comes up, and shut them in again when it gets dark.  They're a real game changer!

The door openers work with any 'drop down' guillotine style door on a standard chicken coop.  You can either use your current door (so long as it goes up and down smoothly and doesn't 'stick') or you can switch the door to an aluminium door on runners - both work.  The 'door opener' unit sits above the door, screwed on to the coop.  

There are several versions of the door openers in the market.  Some only work on the light sensor setting (these are usually the cheaper units).  Others have both a light sensor setting, or a programmable time setting.  Having tried both on our coop, I prefer the programmable time setting.  You do have adjust it a few times a year, but I like the certainty of knowing when it goes up and down (I don't worry about shade from a tree, clouds etc).  

Other differences in the automatic door openers are the type of display you have.  I find it helpful to be able to easily adjust the settings without having to go into the coop, and without having to open anything up.  The LCD screens are by far the easiest to operate, and it is great to have a display that let's you know if your battery is running low.

Finally, you really want an 'over-ride button' that lets you open and shut the door whenever you like.  That means if you want to put your hens to bed early one night you can easily do so.

In my opinion, the most user-friendly and best-value for money option is the FC Automatic Chicken Coop Door opener.  This is because it only costs £89.99 (inc Tax) yet has all the following features:

• External buttons make this very easy to operate 
• LCD screen display lets you quickly make any changes and check battery status.
• The unit has an 'exact lumen value measuring unit', which means if you are using the light sensor mode, it is much more reliable than other units on the market
• Waterproof shell
• External screw mounting hole

This unit works from 4 x AA batteries (not included), which should last up to 6 months (depending on your batteries).

To find out more or to order this Chicken Coop Door Opener, click here! 

Chicken Guard Premium is another good and very similar option, with the higher price of £134.99 (inc tax).

To find out more or to order Chicken Guard Premium, click here!

I can honestly say that I love my hens - but it's made much easier to love them with the help of my automatic chicken door opener!  It also makes holidays or nights away less stressful.