January 15, 2009

automatic chicken door

No chicken coop is complete without this!

While it may seem like an extravagance, the convenience and peace of mind it brings is well worth the price. And anyway, have you heard what other people are spending on THEIR PETS? Good grief! At least chickens give you eggs as well as companionship.

If your chickens are out foraging for bugs and grass during the day with electric fence netting or some other type of fence to keep them contained (and I really hope they are!), you have to lock them in at night so they are safe from predators. Obviously, they also need to be let out in the morning as well. But, chances are, you won't be home at sunset every day to make sure your birds are safely tucked in for the night and, in the summertime, you won't be up at 4:00 a.m. to let them out.

This automatic chicken door is the answer. The door opens and closes on a timer. Set it to open at sunrise (or just a little later after the foxes have slunk away for the day) and set it to close just after sunset. Chickens automatically go to their roost every evening when it starts to get dark so you won't have to shoo them in. Just make sure the door is set to close after sunset so no one is left out in the dark.

I confess I'm still dreaming about my automatic chicken door. But, this spring . . .