Make The Most Of Your Auto Door

Many a poultry enthusiast prizes their Auto Door as one of their favourite chicken coop accessories. On first impression, it may appear to be a gimmicky gadget, however, true chicken aficionados appreciate the Auto Door as a vital tool to help keep the girls safe and sound, as well as being their secret for rapid and regular egg laying. Have a read of this easy guide if you want to find out how to make the most out of your Auto Door.

Hang on! What’s an Auto Door?!

The battery operated Auto Door is an ingenious little device that opens and closes the door to your chicken hutch to ensure that your girls get plenty of access to the outdoors during the day, and that they are safe and secure at night. The Auto Door operates on a timer pulley system that essentially pulls the shutter of the chicken coop open early in the morning and closes it at night. This ultimately helps establish a healthy routine that promotes optimum egg laying conditions during the summer months, as well as adding another obstacle against winter predators that might have their eyes on your girls.

Will the chickens know when it is time to go back in the coop?

Chickens are very responsive to the sun. As the light slowly fades they will instinctively understand that it is time to return to wherever they normally roost. If your chickens are already accustomed to your coop they will have no issue free-ranging all day and returning to their perches before or a little after sundown. However, if it is a relatively young flock who may not be used to spending the night in the coop, you may need to double check on your girls around sunset to see if they are all wandering back into the hutch. If your chickens are having trouble understanding the benefits of sleeping in the coop, simply pick them up and put them into it. Over time, they will begin to understand and appreciate the warmth, wonder and beauty of their Penthouse, Taj Mahal or Mansion chicken coop.

How on Earth does the Auto Door promote egg laying?

Not all Chicken Ladies know that their flock needs 14 hours of daylight to lay eggs at their peak. That’s why it is of vital importance that your girls spend as much time out of the coop and in the sun to ensure that they get enough daylight to produce those scrumptious eggs we all love so much. The science behind this, in very simple terms, is that the daylight triggers a hormonal response inside the chickens that tells their bodies to start producing eggs. That is why in caged hen environments they use heat lamps that basically act as a 24/7 sun substitute, which ultimately causes damage to the chickens health, as even the most prolific laying hens need time to recover from a period of heavy egg production. In a nutshell, the Auto Door is the easiest way to ensure that your girls get enough time in the daylight, which will cue their bodies to start making eggs.

Do I need to reset the timer on my Auto Door during different seasons?

It is in the best interest of you and your chickens to adjust the times on your Auto Door as the seasons change to correspond with the different sunrise and sunset times. Below is a table that will give an average indication of the sunrise and sunset times across all of Australia’s major cities.

Once again it is important to remember that these figures are average times, which will change to varying degrees across the seasons. Additionally, chickens may take some cues from the weather, perhaps retiring to their coops earlier on overcast or rainy days. Who knows what chickens will do during a blood moon or a solar eclipse - so you'll have to roll with the punches in a situation like that. Remember, your chooks are living creatures that will adapt and change in different situations, which sometimes will not always fit in with your plans or your conception of how things should be, but that is a part of the fun of caring for these fine feathered friends.

At what time should I set the Auto Door to open and close?

Once you know approximately when the sun is going to rise and fall in relation to the season and your location, you will still need to consider a few more factors before you set the time on your Auto Door. Firstly, though most chickens return to the hutch before sunset it is best that you do some grass roots research into your flock and see what they get up to before the sun goes down. Older non-laying hens have a habit of returning to the coop to rest sooner than most pullets, but this isn’t always the case. It’s best to get some first hand experience and get inside the mind of your flock before you set the timer on your Auto Door.

Before Sunrise

As a very general rule it might be best to set the timer to open the door 30 minutes before your chickens normally get up. This way you can be sure that your girls have every opportunity to get those imperative hours in the sun so they can lay at their peak!

After Sunset

In terms of setting the door to close, it might be best to give your girls a full hour to return to the coop once the sun has set. Obviously it isn’t always safe for any of your chooks to spend a night outside of the coop, so it’s best to give them a wide window of time to return to the hutch after the sunset. Otherwise, one of your poor girls might have to spend a whole night out in the cold. A Predator Light though is a useful coop accessories that will help your chooks find their way back to the coop late at night, as well as providing plenty of light if you ever need to see what's going down in your coop after dark.

Remember, you know the particulars of your environment and your flock better than anyone else. So, disregard anything that doesn’t work best for your given circumstance. Ultimately, so long as you’re mindful of giving your chooks plenty of sun, as well as considering their safety, you are likely to make a wise and informed decision.

So, if you’re the type of Chicken Lady (or gentleman) who prefers to sleep in all year round, then the Auto Door is simply a must have coop accessory. The Auto Door is easily compatible with our Taj Mahal, Penthouse and Mansion chicken coops, so be sure to stick your beak and have a look at them as well.

As well as amazing coop accessories, there are plenty of things to consider when becoming a chicken parent both fun and practical! You deserve the best information to help you raise a happy, healthy flock. Many chicken keepers struggle to handle chicken health or behaviour issues, especially in the first few years of having a flock.

This is why I recommend Chickenpedia to all my readers. They have comprehensive online courses on everything you didn’t know you need to know and then some more! From healthcare to raising baby chicks to feeding and behavior, you’ll find beginner-friendly courses that’ll give you the knowledge and confidence to successfully look after your chickens.

As a member, you will get access to ALL their fantastic courses. No need to wing it, become the ultimate chicken eggspert! Check out Chickenpedia today!

Sources and further reading