Omlet Automatic Chicken Door Review
What can I say about the Omlet Chicken Automatic Door? Honestly, it gives the best gift you could ever offer yourself, your other half and loved ones; the gift of a lay in!
I’ve never been a early riser. And as I’m wandering towards my chicken coop at 10am I’m mostly feeling guilty that I didn’t get up sooner and let the girls out to start foraging for bugs in the pasture. They stare out at me through the wires with the beady little all-knowing eyes. I knew about automatic chicken doors and I’d always planned on getting one. But there was always something else to buy, some new bill coming through the letterbox. And then I got the Omlet Automatic Chicken Door and life was never quite the same.
The Omlet Automatic Chicken Door fits to the majority of coops
Of course, I still amble to my chicken coop at 10am, there’s no changing that. But now there’s no gaggle of desperate chickens because the ladies are already out. Some run over and greet me. Most give me a nonchalant glance and then continue searching for insects or enjoying their dust bath. There’s no guilt, just happy chicken joy. I can stand and watch my tiny Poland’s hen bobbing amongst the grass and my Maran’s beautiful barred feathers as she preens without the angry ‘you left us in too long’ stares.
So, should you get an automatic chicken door? Yes! Yes, you should.
There are some important notes, however.
Pros
It’s super easy to clean - the plastic is washable and completely clean-easy. This is pretty much a must if you’ve got chickens who like to poop on everything.
It’s easy to install - I might have a lot of poultry knowledge but I’m not good when it comes to DIY. So it came as a relief to find that the Omlet Automatic Chicken door is simple to install and comes with a thorough manual so you can get it right first time.
No trapped chickens - the door has a soft-close safety catch so that if your little hoppy hen sticks her neck through the opening at the last minute, the door will not remain closed but will re-open without injury. Just a note - it doesn’t have a sensor to stop it mid-track, it’ll close all the way, touch the chicken (or your hand) and then open again.
Adaptable - Initially I thought the Omlet doors could only be used on Omlet coops. This isn’t true. They’re highly adaptable and will fit most coops, especially with the additional wire attachment options.
Battery Operation - If you don’t have mains near your coop, these doors are ideal as they’re battery operated. There’s also a handy digital display that shows the battery life so you can refresh batteries when needed.
Automatic doors - great for chickens, not so much for ducks.
Cons
Not for use with Ducks - I only say this because ducks (and other waterfowl) are pretty stupid at going to bed, in the fact that, they don’t! I was always worried about leaving the night timer on and allowing the door to close automatically for fear the chickens would’ve gone to bed and the ducks wouldn’t have. Turns out my ducks and geese just prefer to sleep outside and await the fox. So, for chickens who go to roost, yes. For ducks that won’t go to bed … you’ll have to continue putting them away I’m afraid. BUT, it’ll still let them out in the mornings.
Cost - Here’s the nasty one; the Omlet Automatic Chicken Door isn’t cheap. You’re looking at around £150 or $190. However, now I have one, I honestly think the cost is worthwhile, both for safeguarding your poultry and your lay-ins. There are always those days when we’re running late and might not to our chickens before dusk … but if you’ve got an automatic door, there’s no need to worry that Mr. Fox might have finally gotten his buffet.
I honestly highly recommend Omlet’s automatic door. It’s a great gift for yourself or your loved ones, and your chickens will benefit too as they’ll have more time to roam than ever before. This can be particularly helpful during the winter months when the daylengths are much shorter. Check out the links below and make your chicken-keeping easier!