Keeping chickens safe from predators is not always an easy job. There are several animals out there that see your girls a delicious snack. What can you do to protect them? One way to prevent predators from coming in is to mount chicken coop doors. There are several styles and types on the market. Scroll through the list to find out which one works best for you and your chickens.
1. Automatic coop door for chickens
In general, there are two types of chicken coop doors: the automatic door and the traditional pop door. An automatic door is like a pop door, with a big difference – being automatic. There are several reasons why an automatic coop door is a game changer. No more waking up early to let your chickens out and no more staying at home to close the door before the dark. Predators will not be able to invade your coop because the door will remain closed until morning. Run-Chicken door will automatically open every morning 20 minutes after sunrise and close 20 minutes after sunset. You can even configure the time of opening and closing by your choice. Automatic coop doors usually cost more, but you are paying for the peace of mind knowing your chickens are safe. Happy hens lay more eggs!
2. Chicken coop door: Pop Door
You might be familiar with this type of coop door. It’s traditional and worked just fine for many generations, but now the times have changed. Pop doors, also called pop holes, are similar to the dog door in appearance and structure. The essential thing about it is that it flaps up and down. You must keep the pop doors open to enable your chickens to enter the coop during the day and remember to close them when the sun goes down. Otherwise, your dear ladies can become a predators’ meal.
3. Screen Door for chickens
Screen doors are perfect for higher temperatures. Some fresh air will do chickens well, especially on hot summer days. But you must remember that some predators are so intelligent and skillful (or hungry) that they can easily break the screen door. Choosing sturdy wires can prevent them from coming in Another thing you should consider when selecting a screen door is to make sure you cover the screen on colder days.
4. Chicken coop door: Sliding Door
Sliding doors are pretty standard among chicken keepers. Many chicken owners do sliding doors on their own, which is why so many coop door variations exist. Some sliding doors open inwards, some outwards, some upwards, others from left to right or vice versa, from right to left. So, what do you need to make a sliding door? Lots of technical skills and knowledge about woodwork to design a framework, a hammer, a nail or two, some free time, and lots of pleasure. No matter the chicken coop door variation, make sure to make it sturdy and hard to open.
5. Self-locking Door for chickens
A self-locking door, either by a latch or ball method, is a good solution if there are some troublesome predators around your coop. The latching method is a cheaper version of the self-locking door, while the ball method will cost you more money and time. Unfortunately, the self-locking door is not the safest option neither for your chicken ladies. Just imagine how much pain this door can cause to your chickens if the string breaks!
6. Chicken coop door: Water Door
This solution for keeping predators out is pretty funny. It uses a container filled with water every time the door opens. It’s a good solution for those who want to sleep a little longer in the mornings since the doors are half-automatic. The bad thing about this kind of door is that it takes much time for water to be filled in the container, so it’s enough time for predators to catch your chicken. Another downer is that you need lots of technical skills and knowledge to create such doors. You have to be present at the coop, to press the buttons and start the process of filling the water and opening the coop doors. Besides, imagine your poor chick compressed between water doors because the string was torn!
7. Curtain Door for chickens
The curtain door is easily made, and you don’t need to worry about technical skills and materials costs. You will need only some thick textiles or similar material. This means that curtain door is one of the cheapest, but unfortunately, it doesn’t protect chickens from predators.
A curtain door is advisable in case there are no predators around the coop, but being honest, you can never be sure about that.
Providing safety with the best coop door for your ladies is a dream come true for every chicken keeper. In the end, investing in a quality automatic chicken door will pay off – without needing to worry about forgetting to open or close the “pop” door, you can enjoy your life or do some other chores on your farm. Your chickens will be happy and safe—and you will be glad to keep those few extra hours of sleep.
Modernize your coop with Run-Chicken automatic coop door. Get 10% off when you buy a door! Use discount code RC10OFF at www.run-chicken.com.
