As soon as we started raising our new flock of chickens, we knew we wanted to invest in an automatic door. After several weeks of twice-daily trips to open and close up the coop, we were excited to receive our new Chickcozy automatic coop door.
There were several reasons we were eager to try this particular brand, which will be mentioned below.
We were already on board with a few other labor-saving tactics with our chickens. You can read about using an automatic chicken feeder or our automatic coop lights.
Some of the links in this article are affiliate. A purchase will mean a small commission to GWR at no added cost to you.
Reviewing the Chickcozy Automatic Coop Door
Before we were using the Chickcozy Automatic Coop Door, we had a cheap alternative on another coop. We have since passed the other automatic chicken door onto a neighbor, and are on board with using the Chickcozy option into the future.
Before you even start the list, know that Chickcozy has offered a discount on any of my readers. Just shop through my referral link, and use code “growingwildroots” at checkout.
Quality of Materials
While other chicken doors we’ve seen or used have seemed rather flimsy, the Chickcozy door we’ve installed is made of durable thick ABS plastic. The display and controls are of good quality and easy to use.
I feel fully confident that a predator won’t be able to breach this Chickcozy door—this is a very real concern as many hobby farms in our neighborhood have lost some or all of their flocks to a variety of predators this year.
Plug-in or Battery-Operated Options
Being able to use a cord to connect our Chickcozy automatic coop door to a power outlet is a big advantage for us, and is one of the features that sets this door apart from the competition.
Battery operated doors can be helpful for coops that aren’t near to an electrical source. However, using batteries means the owners would have to be vigilant in watching for dead batteries.
If you do choose to use batteries in your coop door, Chickcozy has a reliable low-battery warning built into their system to help you manage this factor. The Chickcozy website states that batteries will last six months.
Doors that Open Horizontally
Chickcozy products have a pair of doors, which open horizontally. They operate very smoothly, and have a safety backup that ensures that the door will re-open if a chicken is standing in the door when it’s closing.
It seems sensible to me that a chicken coop door would open horizontally, but most of the alternatives operate a door that moves up and down. If you don’t have the clearance for a vertical door, Chickcozy would be a perfect option.
I expect that it also takes less power to slide a door to the side instead up straight up, which gives me a little more confidence that it will continue to function as intended.
Time or Light Triggered Function
So, our cheaper chicken door only operates with a light sensor that cannot be adjusted. When we were first using it, our chickens would not be in the coop early enough and we’d have to load them into the coop after dark. The door couldn’t be force-opened either, which is pretty debilitating if you have any problems with the system.
With Chickcozy, you can set the door to a light sensor with a wide scale of different lighting options. If the door does close too early, you simply push and hold the “OK” button to open it again. It then returns back to it’s usual operation.
You can also choose a time that will work for your flock, and set the door to run on that timer. This is nice flexibility to have access to. Perhaps you live far north and have very dark winters and long light summers… This door gives you the power to set it in a way that serves your situation.
Other Great Features of the Chickcozy Automatic Coop Door
The Chickcozy Automatic Coop Door is a great quality consumer option. You aren’t getting a bargain-basement door for your coop, but you also don’t have to reach into expensive industrial options.
We really like the ease of installation. There was no assembly required. As long as you have the means to put an opening into your coop this door can be attached using six screws. it is very stable, but also uncomplicated—a combination I am particularly fond of!
Also helpful: All the hardware you need to install the Chickcozy door in included with purchase. You can also plug-in or power-up your door right away an begin benefitting (as we did!).
The digital display allows you to have an idea and control of the settings on your door. Cheaper doors don’t include a display.
This Chickcozy automatic coop door is also weatherproof, and will hold up in the cold, wind, rain or heat.
A few Cons of the Chickcozy Automatic Coop Door
Despite our decision to continue using the Chickcozy door in our own coop, there are a few things you might want to have in mind when you’re choosing a door.
The Chickcozy door doesn’t come with a solar option. Because it has an electrical outlet option, you could, in theory, rig up your own system with a separate small solar panel. This would be fun to try. Let me know if you’ve done something like this!
Chickcozy is also more expensive than some of the competition. To me this is a worthwhile door for the features and peace-of-mind. However, you may want to consider other options if budget is a top priority for you. If you do decide to go with Chickcozy, you can shop through my referral link and use code “growingwildroots” to get a discount on your purchase!
Also, I do need to mention that our door has closed earlier than intended a couple times. We have it on the lowest possible light setting for close time, but have twice had to manually open the door when it closed early in the evening. I’m not sure if this was a glitch or if the door sensed darkness. Regardless, it was nice to have the control option to rectify the issue. The door immediately returned to normal function. However, if it’s an ongoing issue we will have to switch to the time-oriented settings.
Get a Discount!
Growing Wild Roots is able to offer a discount to readers on the Chickcozy Automatic Coop Door. Please buy through my referral link and use code “growingwildroots” if you choose to go this route.
You can also buy Chickcozy through Amazon, although my discount code won’t work there. However, it’s worth doing the price comparison before you purchase.
We are thrilled that we don’t have to take twice-daily trips out to our coop anymore! Do you use an automatic chicken door on your homestead?