Can An Automatic Coop Door Stop Chicken Predators?

Chickens are a popular choice for people looking to start as backyard farmers, as they are relatively easy to care for and provide many benefits like a steady supply of fresh eggs. However, chickens are also a favorite food of many chicken predators, including coyotes, foxes, and raccoons. This can make it difficult to protect them from becoming a meal. One way to help protect your chickens is to use an auto chicken coop door.

These doors automatically close at night, keeping your chickens safe and sound inside the coop. They can also be equipped with latches that prevent predators from being able to pry them open. As a result, auto chicken coop doors can provide an extra layer of protection for your flock.

If you already have a coop door that works well, you can make it automatic with a DIY kit. These kits come in three different lengths and are easy to install, making your very own door automatic!

Is A Chicken Coop Automatic Door Worth It?

Automatic chicken coop doors are a great investment for both you and your chickens! These automatic doors give the owner peace of mind knowing their animals are safe from predators, while also helping keep dirt/manure outside where it belongs. An initial investment is required when purchasing a chicken coop auto door but subsequent long-term benefits make this option well worth considering.

How Does A Chicken Coop Automatic Door Work?

Our doors are typically activated by a motion sensor, which triggers the door to open, and we offer Wi-Fi chicken coop doors so that you can close them through your phone. This provides your chickens time for free-roaming while also protecting them from predators at night!

What Predators Do Chickens Have?

Chickens are prey animals, which means they are on the menu for a variety of predators. In the wild, chicken predators include hawks, eagles, owls, snakes, foxes, and even bears. Domestic chickens are also at risk from mammalian predators such as dogs, coyotes, and bobcats. Even rats and mice can pose a threat to chickens, as they can steal eggs and kill young chicks.

To protect their flocks, chicken keepers must be aware of the local chicken predators and take steps to secure their coops and runs. This may include using chicken predator-proof fencing, installing motion-activated lights, or keeping chickens in an enclosed pen during the night with an auto coop door. By taking these precautions, chicken keepers can help to ensure the safety of their flock.

What Are The Most Dangerous Chicken Predators

Unfortunately, the list of chicken predators is exhaustive as chickens are prey animals. In a food chain as vast as North America’s, chickens would not stand a chance if not for our protection. Here are the top predators of chicken. 

Birds Of Prey

Birds of prey are predatory birds including hawks, eagles, falcons, and even owls. Most of these birds hunt during the day but the owl will scout your chickens out at night. The most common of these birds are hawks. You can find hawks in rural areas, and even urban areas as they are common in North America. Most of these birds are protected so you can’t just shoot them or lay traps for them… so what can you do? One of the most effective methods to keeping your chickens safe at night is an auto coop door. Regulating when your chickens get in their coop and closing the doors behind them is one of the best ways you can protect them. 

So what about the daytime? It’s a lot harder to protect when you’re at work and have other responsibilities during that time. You can’t protect them yourself so you’re stuck. The best thing to do is give your chickens the advantage. A chicken coop is a massive help as well as planting heavy foliage like hedges or bushes around the coop. Your chickens know that they are prey and will keep a lookout for birds. Giving them that edge and letting them hide effectively in a coop with the door closed, is the best thing you can do for them. 

Foxes

Foxes are one of the most sly animals and unfortunately, one of the toughest to defend against. Chickens are relatively easy prey for foxes, and a single fox can do a lot of damage to a small flock in a short amount of time. In addition to killing chickens, foxes can also spread disease and parasites to your flock.

For these reasons, it is important to take steps to protect your chickens from foxes. Some common methods of protection include an auto coop door to regulate when your chickens get in their coop, fencing in your chicken run, and using chicken wire over windows and doors. By taking these precautions, you can help to ensure that your flock stays safe from predators like foxes. Check out our blog on how to fox-proof a chicken coop to learn some tips and tricks on how to keep foxes away from your hens.

The bear is another chicken predator that you might have to watch out for. Check out our guide to creating a bear proof chicken coop.

Can A Chicken Coop With An Auto Door Protect My Chickens?

Chickens are hardy animals, but they’re not immune to the elements. Harsh weather can damage their feathers, making them more susceptible to illness. Extreme heat can lead to dehydration, while cold temperatures can cause frostbite. A chicken coop provides shelter from the wind, rain, and sun, helping to keep your chickens healthy and comfortable. The coop should be well-ventilated to prevent the build-up of ammonia fumes, and it should be large enough to allow your chickens to move around freely.

It’s also important to provide perches for your chickens to rest on, as well as nesting boxes for them to lay their egg in. By taking these simple steps, you can help ensure that your chickens are protected from the elements and able to enjoy a long and healthy life. Check out our parent company here to see high-quality chicken coops.  

Auto Chicken Coop Doors For Protection Against Chicken Predators

Pet Auto Doors was created because of our passion for chickens and chicken coops at the Hen House Collection. We saw a customer interested in an automatic chicken coop door that they could rely on, one that wouldn’t fail. After going through a long process of personally testing all of the most popular chicken coop door options, we decided that all of them could be improved on. We went through a research and design process and we are confident to say that our heavy-duty automatic chicken coop door is the best in the market. 

Check out our automatic chicken coop door here. We also have accessories and add-ons that make our auto chicken coop doors even better, like our solar chicken coop doors that can make your coop environmentally friendly. For questions or to get more information, you can fill out a contact form.