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Automatic chicken doors are an interesting concept for many – they offer convenience and automation with the promise of flexibility and security. But many people wonder if it’s worth the money or if they work consistently. I was recently offered the chance to answer these questions for myself by a company called ChickCozy They sent me their Automatic Chicken Coop Door to try and review, and try it I did. Read on to find my honest opinion on the Chickcozy Automatic Chicken Coop Door and get all your questions answered.
Would I Buy It?
Chickcozy sent me this door for free in exchange for a review so I paid nothing. So the biggest question is: would I buy this if I had to pay for it? I think the answer is yes, I’ve been using and testing this for about two months at the time of writing and it has not failed me yet.
Chickcozy’s door works well and offers good versatility. It offers good safety features, an easy user interface and an attractive, low-profile look.
This product makes my life more convenient and I find that I have flexibility with my schedule and don’t have to worry quite as much about getting to the barn as soon as the sun sets to lock up the birds.
Coming in at a bit under $200 before any discounts, this certainly isn’t in the budget for every homestead, but I think it’s worth the cost if convenience, flexibility, and automation are high priorities on your farm.
All that said, as a consumer, I highly value supporting small and/or American businesses that align with my values. If I were going to buy an auto coop door, I would probably try to find one that is American-based and lists its values and ethics so I can compare them to mine. A quick search reveals there are competing American-made products in the marketplace. Of course, I can’t speak to the quality of these products, but they’re certainly worth doing some research into if you’re in the market for a door.
So there’s the simple answer for you, short and to the point for those of us who don’t have the time to read my ramblings. Take my experience with a grain of salt and read the rest of my review for all the gritty details.
Check out the door here: Chickcozy Automatic Chicken Coop Door
Ease of Installation –
5 out of 5
One area where this product shines is the ease of installation. It took me less than 10 minutes to install this door from start to finish (not including cutting the hole for it). All you need to do is cut the appropriate size hole, line up the door, and then screw it into place with the six included screws. All in all, I found the process straightforward. The only difficult part was holding the door in place on my own while I seated the first few screws, but the problem was easily solved with the aid of my 11-year-old cousin.
Ease of Use – 5 out of 5
If, like me, you find the concept of an automated coop door intimidating, then have no fear with this door. As I reviewed Chickcozy’s Automatic Chicken Coop Door, I found the user interface of this door is easy to navigate and intuitive. The system reminds me of an alarm clock interface with just a few multi-purpose buttons.
Again, setting up this door took only a couple minutes and the status display left me feeling confident that it was set up exactly as I intended.
Versatility – 4 out of 5
Another great attribute of this door is the shear number of options that it gives you. You can choose from three modes of operation – light, time, or manual. As it sounds, the “Light” mode is operated by a daylight sensor that opens the door shortly after sunrise and closes it at dusk. The door also features a programable clock that allows you to manually set an opening and closing time for your birds. Finally, the “Manual” mode sets the door to open or close only when you push the button.
You also have two power options. This door can operate either on battery power (4 AA’s) or with the included power cord. I did notice that the cord is quite short, so you will likely need an extension cord to use it this way. But with the batteries included in the packaging, battery mode is super convenient and easy to use.
The only reason I bumped the rating on this category is because it is only really appropriate for chickens or smaller fowl. With the door being only slightly larger than 8 x 10 inches, larger ducks, geese, turkeys, or perhaps even jumbo chickens will struggle to use this door. That being said, Chickcozy does advertise this as a chicken door, so I can’t find too much fault there. So, just be cautious if you have a mixed flock like I do to make sure all the residents of your coop can safely use this door.
Offering a larger door size to accommodate us waterfowl lovers would be a great endeavor for this company to pursue, and one that I would eagerly support.
Security – 4 out of 5
I am relatively happy with the predator security that this door offers. It closes tightly and the operation modes work properly to make sure the door isn’t left open all night. My only concern is with the closing strength of the doors. These sliding doors can be pried open with only moderate pressure from one or two fingers. Therefore, I believe that a determined raccoon, mink, small dog, or fox could find its way inside.
Despite my doubts about the closing strength of the doors, it hasn’t deterred me from using it because my coop door is not the only method of security to my flock. My paddock fence combined with this door makes me pretty confident that my flock is safe. So, as with all predator deterrent strategies: use this door in concert with other methods.
Additionally, ChickCozy built in an anti-crush feature which relieved a fear I didn’t even know I had about this product.
Appearance Review – 5 out of 5
If looks are of importance to you, you’ll find that this piece of chicken equipment will suit your needs. The door is simple but attractive in design and it’s low profile will blend well into any coop or barn.
Chickcozy offers two color options at this time – Dark Goldenrod ( a rich yellow) or Lime Green (an attractive green).
Packaging & Instructions – 5 out of 5
The Chickcozy door arrived well packaged in a smaller box than I would have expected (good job Chickcozy on not wasting packaging materials!) with all the components in great condition. Nothing appeared damaged and the packing and instruction manual were clean and professional.
The instruction manual was detailed and easy to understand. It featured pictures and diagrams to make the button-sequences clear.
Good job you! You made it all the way through my product review. I hope you found this information helpful.
All in all, this is a pretty great product worth considering if you’re looking to automate your chicken routine. I hope you found my Chickcozy Automatic Chicken Coop Door review helpful and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask them in the comments.
God bless and happy homesteading!
-Abby
