For this review, we were sent a free Omlet Universal Automatic Chicken Coop Door to test. All opinions are our own and represent our own experience with this product.
In this article, we’ll cover our review of the automatic coop door when it’s installed in an Omlet chicken coop. For this review, we used our Eglu Cube.
In a subsequent review, we’ll show how we installed the same automatic door in a coop we built ourselves.
Below are our first impressions, testing results and overall recommendations! Read on to find out about our experience.
What it is
The Omlet Universal Automatic Coop Door is an all-in-one auto coop door, frame, motor, and programming panel. It can be used on the Eglu Cube or on your own chicken coop (you don’t need an Omlet coop to enjoy this product – it works with all coops).
Manufacturer’s image
It’s plastic, with a motor, and comes with all the necessary hardware to install it. The electric panel that allows you to program the door requires AA batteries.
According to the website “Omlet’s Universal Automatic Chicken Coop Door can be set to close at dusk and open at dawn. This setting will naturally follow the seasons.”
Although we did not test this feature, the door can be attached to hardware cloth and other wire so your chickens can easily access their run, if you want them to free range.
This product retails on the Omlet website for $189.99, with free shipping.
Where to buy Omlet’s Universal Automatic Chicken Coop Door
You can purchase this door on Omlet’s website here (and shipping is free – always a good thing!).
What the company claims
Quoted directly from the Omlet website:
Easy to install, no maintenance required
Operated by light sensor or timer
Powered by battery
Improves coop security and insulation
Compatible with the Eglu Cube
Reliable in all weather conditions
Built-in safety sensors
Our experience
This is our third product we’ve tested from Omlet (we also tested the Eglu Go), and we were super excited to give the automatic coop doors a test drive! One thing you might notice is this section of our review is short – that’s because the Omlet Universal Automatic Coop Door was very easy to install!
We installed it in our Eglu Cube, which we reviewed a few years ago, and is still going strong (which says something for the craftsmanship of Omlet’s products!)
Taking apart our Eglu Cube to install the new coop door. The door comes with installation directions.
The Omlet Universal Automatic Chicken Coop Door came with instructions that were easy to follow – so installation only took a few minutes. The chickens were a bit confused the first night – we had to open the door again for our barred rock rooster, who was a bit late to the show, and the door closed before he could get inside.
The programming pad.
But the other chickens figured out quickly how to use it, and the door opened bright and early the next morning. The keypad that lets you program the door took a bit of reading the instructions and getting used to the different buttons, but once we figured it out, programming the door was a snap.
We also tested the manual feature, since our flock heads into the coop at different times at dusk. It worked well (even for me, who can’t figure out most new devices), and it’s nice to know we can open and close the door easily. (The Eglu Cube also has several other doors, so if we need to check on a flock mate, we don’t need to disarm the auto coop door).
The next day, we tested the “Light Setting” which allows you to program the door to open at dawn and close at dusk. The door did open and close at the right times! (For more information about this setting, please consult Omlet’s website here).
My cochin bantam hen was eager to test out the door (before we even installed the automatic door!)
Does Omlet’s Automatic Coop Door live up to its claims?
Yes! This door makes chicken keeping a breeze, and the door operates as expected. It was easy to install, and we appreciate all the safety features!
What we like
Door frame means easy installation with better security
The door comes with a frame – so even if you install it into a wooden coop, you won’t need to worry about framing it (without a frame, it can lead to security issues, and it’s one of our biggest qualms about past auto doors we reviewed.).
Better predator control
The door can’t easily be moved by predators. In some systems, predators like raccoonscan easily lift the door. We’ve also had doors that don’t close all the way due to dirt build up. That does not seem to be the case with the Omlet Automatic Coop Door.
Competitively priced
While we received this product for free to test, I would have bought it anyway. The price of $189.99 is very reasonable, and less expensive than other similar products on the market. It’s well worth the investment for some peace of mind!
What don’t we like
If I have to be nit picky – and this is a very nit picky thing – I would say it’s not super aesthetically pleasing. On our Eglu Cube, the operation panel sits on the outside of the coop, and the wires that connect from the door to the panel are hard to hide. However, realistically, this wouldn’t turn me off of this product because it’s easy to use and the chickens like it.
Is it useful for chicken owners?
Yes! Your flock will love this automatic coop door. We recommend Omlet’s Automatic Coop Door for flocks of all sizes and ages (just know that you’ll have to teach young chicks and ducklings to go into the coop before the door closes). The best part is that it automates opening and closing the coop, so you can sleep soundly at night and not worry about predators!
What to watch out for:
Had to take Eglu Cube apart
We tested this on an Eglu Cube, and to install it, we had to take the roof off of the coop and crawl inside the opening. So, if you have an Omlet coop, you’ll have an extra step. But it only took us a few minutes.
Haven’t tested it on geese or turkeys
We don’t have geese or turkeys on our farm, so we couldn’t test it with larger fowl. However, the door is very large, and we’ve seen our full-sized goat slip through tighter spaces, so I’m confident all classes of poultry can easily use the Omlet Automatic Coop Door.
Do night check for stragglers
Because the door automatically closes, you’ll have to check for stragglers. Another option is to have the door close well after dark (say, 30 minutes). In areas with a lot of predators, this isn’t ideal, however, so my recommendation is to just do a night check and herd in any latecomers.
Summary
The Omlet Universal Automatic Coop Door is a great addition to any coop, and your flock will love it!
Maat van Uitert is a backyard chicken and sustainable living expert. She is also the author of Chickens: Naturally Raising A Sustainable Flock, which was a best seller in it’s Amazon category. Maat has been featured on NBC, CBS, AOL Finance, Community Chickens, the Huffington Post, Chickens magazine, Backyard Poultry, and Countryside Magazine. She lives on her farm in Southeast Missouri with her husband, two children, and about a million chickens and ducks. You can follow Maat on Facebook here and Instagram here.
Building your own DIY automatic coop door is easy with a ChickenGuard Automatic Coop Door Opener!
(For this article, ChickenGuard provided us with a free Automatic Coop Door Opener. This article reflects my own personal opinions using this product).
With the hot summers and chilly winters (with lots of freezing rain) in Southeast Missouri, making sure my flock as easy access in and out of their coop is very important.
That’s why a few years ago, we installed an automatic coop door. It worked great….until the goat broke it one day.
Since then, the door has stayed silent, and my patient flock had to wait until I made it outside to let them loose for the day.
That is, until ChickenGuard asked if I’d review their Automatic Coop Door Opener.
They previously sent me an automatic opener and door kit (read that review here).
Since we already had an automatic door that didn’t work, I was excited to test out the Automatic Coop Door Opener and see if we could rig it with our existing door and make it functional again.
Since the ChickenGuard Automatic Coop Door Opener works with any pre-existing door that can easily slide up and down, I had a good feeling it would solve our problems.
And since it’s also programmable, my hens could enjoy the weather long before we woke up!
Here’s how we combined our existing door with the ChickenGuard Automatic Coop Door Opener – and how you can do it with your hen house!
Building Your Own Automatic Coop Door
For the ChickenGuard Automatic Coop Door Opener to work, you’ll need to make or purchase door that slides up and down. We already had one, but to make your own, you’ll need:
A sawzall or other tool to cut an access door into your coop
1×2 boards to frame the access door (enough for 2 frames)
Wood to build your new door from (a 12-inch x 12-inch piece of wood works well. An easy solution is to use the piece leftover from cutting the access door).
Screws to secure the frame (the length will depend on your door, but make sure they won’t stick out and hurt your chickens)
An eye hook
For your door, you’ll want to make sure the color matches your coop (you can either make it the same color, or a complementary contrasting color).
Framing the door is important – on the outside, it’ll make your coop look more finished.
Our DIY Coop Door framed on the outside looks good and helps keep predators out.
On the inside, it’ll prevent predators from easily pushing the door out of the way to enter your coop.
The ChickenGuard will only do so much – it’ll open and close the door. To ensure your coop is 100% predator proof, framing the entire area is necessary.
You will need to leave enough space between the frames so the coop door can slide up and down.
The 1/2 inch grove between the inner frame and outer frame lets the door easily slide up and down.
The gap size will depend on the piece of wood you use. The pre-existing door we had left about a ½ inch gap between the frames.
Installing the ChickenGuard Automatic Coop Door Opener
Once your coop access door is framed, adding the automatic door opener is a snap.
To the top of the coop door, drill in the eye hook – you’ll loop the string from the ChickenGuard Automatic Coop Door Opener through it. We simply tied ours to the eye hook. The motor in the ChickenGuard Automatic Coop Door Opener raises and lowers the door.
The coop door will automatically rise and fall using the string. It seems simple, but it works VERY well.
We’ve been using this product for months with no problems – and our flock is VERY happy.
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Programming & Testing The ChickenGuard Automatic Coop Door Opener
Follow the directions in the ChickenGuard Automatic Coop Door Opener manual to program the product. It’s simple, and you only need to press a few buttons.
In our previous review of the self-locking door kit, we had it installed in 10 minutes. We set ours to open at 7 AM, but we change the closing time based on the season.
To test whether your new automatic coop door works, simply press the buttons on the ChickenGuard Automatic Coop Door Opener – if your coop door slides up and down, it works!
You can purchase the ChickenGuard Automatic Coop Door Opener on Amazon here.
If we were to install a 4th coop door (yes, we have quite a few!), I would purchase the ChickenGuard Automatic Coop Door Opener. It’s worth a little extra effort to create easy access for your chickens to get in and out of their home without relying on their humans.
Maat van Uitert is a backyard chicken and sustainable living expert. She is also the author of Chickens: Naturally Raising A Sustainable Flock, which was a best seller in it’s Amazon category. Maat has been featured on NBC, CBS, AOL Finance, Community Chickens, the Huffington Post, Chickens magazine, Backyard Poultry, and Countryside Magazine. She lives on her farm in Southeast Missouri with her husband, two children, and about a million chickens and ducks. You can follow Maat on Facebook here and Instagram here.
Maat van Uitert is a backyard chicken and sustainable living expert. She is also the author of Chickens: Naturally Raising A Sustainable Flock, which was a best seller in it’s Amazon category. Maat has been featured on NBC, CBS, AOL Finance, Community Chickens, the Huffington Post, Chickens magazine, Backyard Poultry, and Countryside Magazine. She lives on her farm in Southeast Missouri with her husband, two children, and about a million chickens and ducks. You can follow Maat on Facebook here and Instagram here.
For this review, we were sent a ChickenGuard Automatic Chicken Coop Door Opener with Self Locking Door Kit to test. All opinions expressed are our honest review of this product.
In this article, we’ll cover our review of the self-locking door kit and standard automatic door opener.
In a subsequent review, we’ll show how we installed the standard automated door opener on a door we built ourselves.
Below are our first impressions, testing results and overall recommendations! Read on to find out about our experience.
(You can read about all the products we’ve reviewed right here).
Manufacturer’s image of door kit
Manufacturer’s image of standard door opener with LCD screen
What it is
The Chicken Guard Self-Locking Door Kit is an aluminum door with runners intended to be used with a standard automatic door opener. The door is 10 inches by 12 inches with 23.5 inch runners, and the door raises and lowers itself on the runners.
The standard door opener is a motorized device that can be programmed to open and close the door so your chickens can access their run at the designated time and be locked securely in their coop at night.
To program times into the Chicken Guard door opener, you use an LCD screen with buttons.
Unlike other automatic chicken coop doors we’ve tested, Chicken Guard door opener runs on 4 AA batteries. It also has an option to run via a USB cable and charger.
Both the self-locking door kit and the automatic door opener prevent predators from getting into your chicken coop and attacking your chickens.
The Chicken Guard Self-Locking Door Kit currently retails on Amazon for $294.99
The Chicken Guard coop door in action. We will have to frame the doorway.
Where to buy the ChickenGuard Automatic Chicken Coop Door Opener with Self Locking Door Kit
The Chicken Guard Self-Locking Door Kit can be purchased on Amazon right here. It’s gotten several 5 star reviews.
What the company claims
Convenient opening and closing of chicken coop doors
Long battery life
Save you from getting up in the morning and protect your chickens from predators.
Can be open automatically or manually.
Simple to setup with no complicated wiring or cabling.
Our experience
We were excited to test the ChickenGuard Automatic Chicken Coop Door Opener with Self Locking Door Kit!
We live in the South, and I always worry over summer whether the chickens are too hot. With this automatic coop door, we could let them out at 5 am instead of after we wake up.
When we received the ChickenGuard Automatic Chicken Coop Door Opener with Self Locking Door Kit, we first unpacked the full kit, which came with directions. All the parts were included, and the directions were easy to follow. When we set out to install the door, we felt confident.
We first had to select a spot in the chicken coop for a new door. We have a side run in addition to the main run, but it can’t be accessed easily by our flock.
So we decided to install the ChickenGuard Automatic Chicken Coop Door Opener with Self Locking Door Kit so the flock could use it in the early morning hours before we get up.
The door is made of aluminum with plastic runners, and seemed sturdy. Installing the runners was easy, and the kit comes with the hardware you’ll need. We didn’t forget to bring our electric screwdriver!
The programmable opener with LCD screen and buttons
After installing the door, we then added the opener to the wall, and attached it to the door itself. The door lifts up via a string attached to the door opener, which raises and lowers the string at the pre-designated times. While it seems simple, it’s very effective.
To program it, we followed the directions in the manual (it’s very simple), and in the span of 10 minutes, our new automatic coop door was installed!
Because we installed it in the middle of the day, we left the door open, but programmed it to shut at 8 PM. Because it was summer when we performed our test, there was still enough light and no predators around. However, if it were winter, we would have programmed it to close earlier in the day.
The door closed at the designated time, but none of the chickens used it (they’re trained to go through a different door) since they hadn’t yet realized there was a new entry portal into their coop.
The door was silent, but operated as promised.
The following day, I noticed my chickens were all out when I woke up. We had programmed the ChickenGuard Automatic Chicken Coop Door Opener with Self Locking Door Kit to open at 5 AM.
The door and automatic opener worked!
My chickens and ducks were happy – they could wander around during the cooler hours of early morning, and didn’t have to wait for me to wake up.
By the following evening, the chickens and particularly the ducks understood they could go back into the coop at sundown via the automatic door. The ducks appreciated the door was at their height.
Note that since our coop is a large walk-in, we installed our kit on the inside. If your coop is smaller, you will need to install the programmable door opener on the outside of your coop. We did not test the weather-proofing of the door opener.
Does Chicken Guard’s Automated Chicken Coop Door Opener live up to its claims?
Yes! This door and the opener are convenient, operate as stated, and lets our flock out at the proper time. The chickens quickly learned how to use it, and appreciate getting out of their coop earlier in the morning. It fully locks at night, and we don’t need to worry about predators getting into the coop.
What don’t we like
The only qualm we have with the ChickenGuard Automatic Chicken Coop Door Opener with Self Locking Door Kit is that the opening (not the door itself, but the opening in the wall of your coop) will need to be framed.
Although the door locks tight and predators cannot get in, we can still see daylight between the door kit and the wall of the coop. Framing the opening with 1×2 boards and brad nails will prevent this.
Is it useful for chicken owners?
Yes! We recommend the ChickenGuard Automatic Chicken Coop Door Opener with Self Locking Door Kit for flocks of all sizes with chickens at least 8 weeks of age (younger chickens that don’t yet roost or who do not have older chickens who will return to the coop at sundown should still be herded into the coop to ensure they’re locked safely away).
The best part is that it automates opening and closing the coop. If you want to go away for a weekend, you won’t need to worry about your flock being safe at night. If you live in a very hot area, your flock will have the freedom to leave the coop early in the morning, and you can sleep in.
Flock size doesn’t matter with this product – we tested it with our very large flock of both chickens and ducks (and the goat), and they all understand how it works.
What to watch out for
Resetting the ChickenGuard Automatic Chicken Coop Door Opener for winter hours
You will want the coop to close at sundown, so you will need to reprogram it based on the season. It’s best to not close the door in the dark, since predators like skunks, rats, raccoons, and opossums start their prowling just after sundown.
Keep a regular door in case of stragglers
We have lots of stragglers (especially ducks) who like to wander around at sundown. You’ll still want a regular door, or you’ll have to install the ChickenGuard Automatic Chicken Coop Door Opener with Self Locking Door Kit on the outside of your coop so you can manually raise the door for stragglers.
When you install the automatic door opener, make sure it and the string are directly above the door
It’s important you install the opener directly above the door for maximum use and longer battery life.
This is just a tip – you can learn from our user error.
We initially installed the door opener so it wasn’t perpendicular to the ground and directly above where it attaches to the door. In other words, the string had a slight bend to it, because the door opener was 1 inch too far to the left.
Because of this, we noticed that the door didn’t raise as quickly, and it likely would run the batteries down faster. So to stop wear and tear on the motor and preserve battery power, we had to adjust its location.
Keep in mind the season and weather
Remember that the ChickenGuard Automatic Chicken Coop Door Opener with Self Locking Door Kit will open regardless of weather, so if you want chickens to stay inside for any reason (freezing rain, for example), you will have to manually turn off the door the night prior.
Summary
The ChickenGuard Automatic Chicken Coop Door Opener with Self Locking Door Kit is a wonderful addition to any coop, and well worth the investment if you want peace of mind. It lives up to its promises, is easy to install, and the chickens appreciate being let out of the coop earlier in the day!
Maat van Uitert is a backyard chicken and sustainable living expert. She is also the author of Chickens: Naturally Raising A Sustainable Flock, which was a best seller in it’s Amazon category. Maat has been featured on NBC, CBS, AOL Finance, Community Chickens, the Huffington Post, Chickens magazine, Backyard Poultry, and Countryside Magazine. She lives on her farm in Southeast Missouri with her husband, two children, and about a million chickens and ducks. You can follow Maat on Facebook here and Instagram here.
For this review, Omlet sent me two Eglu Go Modern Chicken Coops to test. We tested purple and green coops.
We tested the Eglu Cube previously (you can read that review here), love it, and still use it daily, so we were excited to test the Eglu Go also!
We’ve found everything we’ve tested from Omlet to be well made, durable, and great for backyard chicken owners, and couldn’t wait to give the Eglu Go a test drive.
Below are our first impressions, testing results and overall recommendations! Read on to find out about our experience.
What it is
The Eglu Go is a chicken coop with an attached run that’s designed to be mobile. The unit itself sits entirely on the ground, and has wheels to move it.
The coop itself is thick plastic, with two doors – one on the back for the human to use, and one on the front for the chickens to enter and exit into the run area. The run is wire.
Inside the coop, there is an area for hens to lay eggs, and the coop includes a tray to catch manure.
Durable material prevents the build up of red mite
Twin wall insulation ideal for all seasons
Add Eglu Wheels for easy movability
Our experience
The Eglu Go Modern Chicken Coop arrived in several boxes. We were prepared because we’d already tested the Eglu Cube, and knew the coops needed assembly.
The coops were easy to put together, with easy to follow instructions. Anyone with a screw driver can put the coop together.
We tested the coops over several months over several different parts of our farm to test its ease of use, whether it was predator proof, and whether the chickens liked it.
We’ve housed hens AND roosters in it, as well as ducks and younger chicks.
We really liked the design. It was easy for chickens to get in and out of, and after the first day, they understood that the coop was a place to rest.
We received our coop in the early spring, when the roosters were just coming out of their winter slump. They needed to be separated from the hens!
We first tested it by keeping 3 hens in the Eglu Go. Because the coop is designed to keep predators out, it also does a great job of keeping randy roosters at bay.
We immediately noticed our hens were happier, and they started laying eggs again. Hooray!
They enjoyed sitting together inside the coop at night, and loved that each day, we moved the coop to a different patch of grass.
Moving the coop was very easy. The coop is designed to lift when the wheels are engaged, and anyone (even my 5 year old daughter) can easily move the coop.
We’ve noticed that moving slowly is better for the chickens, and be sure to remove any feed or water bowls before moving it.
Later on, we ended up sequestering rooster in the Eglu Go. While the hens love it, their feathers grew back in just a few weeks (thanks to all the green grass they got when we moved the coop each day!).
Like the hens, the roosters quickly understood the Eglu Go, and enjoy their daily tours of the farm. They go into the coop at night, and enjoy spending the day hunting bugs in their run.
Even though we have established predatorson our farm (skunks, coyotes, and raccoons), we haven’t lost any chickens. We attribute this to the Eglu Go’s unique design that keeps predators from getting into the coop.
Does Omlet’s Eglu Go Modern Chicken Coop live up to its claims:
Yes! The Eglu Go is a modern and sleek coop that’s perfect for beginners and experienced chicken owners alike. It keeps out predators, is easy to use and keep clean, and the chickens love it. Omlet claims the material will help prevent mites. We didn’t see any on our chickens during the testing period, and because the plastic is so easy to keep clean, it’s easy to keep the coop mite-free.
What don’t we like
When we tested the coop with ducklings, the little ones didn’t understand to go into the coop itself at night. Because the run isn’t built for humans, it was REALLY hard to squeeze into the run to get the ducklings into the coop. So, it might take some trial and error on your part to get little chickens and ducks to understand the coop’s purpose.
Is it useful for chicken owners?
We recommend the Eglu Go Modern Chicken Coop for flock owners with less than 4 chickens. We’re impressed with how easy this coop is to use, but there isn’t enough space for more than 3 hens or 4 bantams.
We tested it to keep roosters away from hens during peak breeding season, and it was EXCELLENT for this use. The hens returned to laying, and were able to regrow their feathers.
For urban chicken owners, this is the perfect coop to add to your backyard that’ll let your chickens free range without complaints from the neighbors.
We’ve tested several products from Omlet, and their predator proof coops are the real deal.
What to watch out for:
Watch out for the coop doors in the summer. Because they can easily be shut by children, a chicken can easily be trapped inside for hours. There’s no standard mechanism on the coop to prevent the doors from being shut accidentally.
Summary
The Eglu Go is a sleek, useful coop for backyard chicken owners. We give it 5 stars for design, usefulness, safety, durability, and ease of use! Our chickens use it daily and love it!
Maat van Uitert is a backyard chicken and sustainable living expert. She is also the author of Chickens: Naturally Raising A Sustainable Flock, which was a best seller in it’s Amazon category. Maat has been featured on NBC, CBS, AOL Finance, Community Chickens, the Huffington Post, Chickens magazine, Backyard Poultry, and Countryside Magazine. She lives on her farm in Southeast Missouri with her husband, two children, and about a million chickens and ducks. You can follow Maat on Facebook here and Instagram here.
