Best Automatic Chicken Coop Door

REVIEW: Automatic Chicken Coop Door | RUN-CHICKEN

There are so many things you can buy for your chickens that will improve their lives.

You can get them automatic chicken coop waterers and you can also get weather-proof and rat-proof automatic chicken feeders.

There are also a number of chicken toys, or you can go ahead and try to find the best bedding material, but there is one thing you can buy that benefits both your chickens and you as their chicken keepers.

Raising chickens is work, let's face it, and my favorite motto is, work smarter not harder. Adding this one feature does exactly that. This item, is an automatic chicken coop door.

 

What Does An Automatic Chicken Coop Door Do?

Automatic chicken coop doors open automatically in the morning and close automatically at night to let your chickens in and out, and will keep them safe from predators through the night as well.

I couldn't believe such a door existed - how did I not know this sooner??

I wondered just how safe and reliable an auto door would be on my chicken's coop. Would it keep my chickens safe? Would the light sensor work on cloudy days? Would this automatic door accidently close on one of my chickens?

I had so many questions and did a lot of research as there are so many automatic chicken doors out there, and I learned that so many of them are cheaply made and or are knock off's of the well-built brands.

See the research on my article Best Chicken Coop Doors here

 

Auto Coop Door For Chickens And Ducks

After completing the research, I decided to go with the RUN-CHICKEN automatic chicken coop door for several reasons, and this is my review article of that specific product and why I chose it.

In this article, I will share:

  • About the company, RUN-CHICKEN
  • About the settings of the automatic coop door
  • About the door itself
  • The ease of installation
  • The locking system & its safety features
  • My overall thoughts and personal opinions: how easy is it to install, use, how I like the looks of it and most importantly, how confident I feel about it keeping my chickens safe

Let's get into it.


Automatic Coop Door Review

Automatic Chicken Coop Door REVIEW: RUN-CHICKEN T50

So when looking at this specific brand of automatic chicken coop door, I was amazed to learn that there were so many knock off's on Amazon that were specifically made to look like the original chicken coop door by RUN-CHICKEN.

This was confirmed by Jure, owner of RUN-CHICKEN when we spoke to him during our research about their product. He said that there are "several cheap versions on the market that do not work well". So this is important to make sure you get the right product for quality purposes and not a fake.

The last thing you want is a cheaper version that could endanger the coop due to poor quality materials and mechanisms.

See the original RUN-CHICKEN automatic chicken coop door on Amazon HERE

About RUN-CHICKEN

Watch our unboxing and installation of the Run-Chicken Automatic Chicken Coop door on our YouTube channel here (and be sure to hit subscribe!)



RUN-CHICKEN is a brand owned by start-up company RUN-TIGER. The model T50, which is the model I have, is the third generation of the company’s designs. RUN-CHICKEN automatic coop doors not only protects your chickens from predators, but it helps the chicken owners a bit in letting the chickens out in the morning and putting them safely away at night.

We highly recommend adding one to your coop or planning for it if you are building your own diy chicken coop.

I especially love having this chicken door when I am out or away from the house past dark. I no longer have to worry that the chicken haven't been put away yet because I know that they are taken care of.

This smart door can be used with either the light sensor option, which works right out of the box, or with a timer which you can operate right from your cell phone. You can also manually change the settings or do so online for more advanced controls.

Here is some more info about the settings:

Automatic Chicken Coop Door Settings

There are several chicken coop auto door settings you can adjust:

  • The light sensor settings (works right out of the box, no set up required)
  • Manual settings where you can hold the button down to set for certain opening and closing time
  • The app you can download and change the settings on
  • The configurator through the website for more advanced controls

    The Light Sensor

    The light sensor works with natural light only (flashlights, car headlights or headlamps won't cause the coop door to accidently open).

    When left at the default setting, the light sensor senses when there is daylight and automatically opens the chicken door. At night, when there is absence of natural light, the door automatically closes 20 minutes after nightfall. So as soon as you install the coop door, you don't have to set anything up, it is ready to go with this light sensor setting.

    When I first got this automatic chicken coop door, I thought I would be using the settings through the app, but with the sun setting earlier and earlier as we are going into fall and winter (and this setting will change through the year) I have found that the setting it is set to right out of the box, has been fantastic.

    The Manual Settings

    You can adjust the opening and closing time of your automatic chicken coop door manually by holding the button for three seconds.

    Setting Up Automatic Coop Door Opener

     

    Manually Setting The Opening Time:

    For changing the opening time, hold the button for 3 seconds and when the light turns GREEN, release the button and immediately press it again to confirm it. The door will automatically detect your time zone and set the door to open at the exact time you pressed the button at.

    Manually Setting The Closing Time:

    The same can be manually programmed for the door closing: hold the button for 3 seconds and when the light turns RED, release the button and immediately press it again to confirm it. The door will automatically detect your time zone and set the door to close at the exact time you pressed the button at.

    Again, hold the button down for 3 seconds.

    • The green light is for the opening settings
    • The red light is for the closing settings

     

    Chicken Coop Door Best Review

     

    The RUN-CHICKEN App To Set Door Opening And Closing

    If you prefer your chicken's door to opened and closed at specific times, then you may want to consider downloading the app and programming it to the opening and closing times of your liking.

    This app can be downloaded from the Google Play or the Apple App store, and the instructions for setting your opening and closing door time is very straight forward.

    The Configurator

    For more advanced settings, you can follow the link in the manual to go to the configurator via the website, on your computer, tablet or phone to adjust the settings.

    I have personally not done this as I am quite happy with the light sensor settings, so I can't tell you about the app or the configurator, but they both have good reviews.

    About The RUN-CHICKEN Automatic Chicken Coop Door

    Automatic Doors For Chicken Coops

    Here are some notable points about this coop door:

    • It is a sturdy, aluminum door
    • It is battery operated (2 AA batteries; battery life will last 1 year)
    • Has a natural light sensor
    • Opens and closes automatically
    • Has a button set up (if you want to manually change the closing and opening times)
    • Time configurator (for more advanced options)
    • Easy mounting
    • Waterproof
    • High security
    • Robust and elegant
    • Works in climate −15 °F to 140 °F

      Colors: USA Hen, Rhode Island Red, Buckeye Brown, California Gray, Camo Brown, Camo Gray

      Check price of the RUN-CHICKEN automatic coop door here

       

      Automated Door Safety Sensor

      This automatic chicken coop door has a safety sensor built-in. This safety sensor works by the motor automatically sensing any sort of resistance, for example, if there is a chicken standing under the door at the time of closing.

       

      Chicken Coop Safety

       

      Keeping chickens safe is a top priority, and was something I wanted to know was thought about in the design when researching chicken coop doors. Having this safety sensor was necessary for me (and my own piece of mind).

      Installation Of The Automatic Chicken Coop Door

      I installed this automatic chicken coop door myself on our wooden chicken coop, and when they said it was easy (in fact, they said no longer than 30 minutes), they were not exaggerating.

      Right out of the box the door came in one piece, ready to go, with a bag of screws.

       

      Installing A Chicken Coop Door

       

      The door fit perfectly over my own door opening on the coop, which made it really easy to hang.

      What is the door size of this automatic chicken coop door?

      The door size of the automatic chicken coop door is 9.4" long x 13.8" wide.

      The installation was very easy for the door opener; I followed the well-designed graphic instructions and made sure I screwed the included screws in gently with a screwdriver. This was the most important point with this installation because if you screw them in too tightly, the door will not work.

      It is important to note that I did not have to do steps 7-8, which tells me to remove the drive shaft to take out the battery guard, because the battery had a 'pull to remove' tab on the outside. So I actually didn't have to take anything apart here.

      Best Chicken Safety Door

      It was as simple as open the box, get my screwdriver out, put the screws in, test the door to make sure it runs smoothly and is installed correctly. That's it!

      This is the screwdriver that will work with the RUN-CHICKEN coop door installation, and it's a really great price here on Amazon

      The simplicity of this installation was truly amazing, anyone could do it.

      Locking Mechanism Of This Automatic Chicken Coop Door

      It is also important to know that the locking mechanism on this door will prevent anything from coming up and sliding the door open once it is closed. It is safely locked and provides fantastic protection in rain, wind and even in freezing temperatures.

       

      REVIEW: My Overall Thoughts On The RUN-CHICKEN Automatic Chicken Coop Door

      Here it is on my own coop and you can hear it if you turn the sound on:

      Packaging

      To start off, the door arrived in the mail with really minimal packaging. It comes comes as one piece (no assembly at all required), so the box was perfectly sized to fit it. it had a really great, colored instruction booklet with photos, graphics for installation and a great story on the products creator, Jure.

      I have to say that I really like that this is a well-manufactured product from a small startup company who really took the time to develop it, as opposed to a big brand that is mass producing coop doors.

       

      Installation

      The installation of the door was very easy, which I already talked about above.

       

      Safety

      The door itself is made from a very durable aluminum that feels heavy and solid. There isn't anything that is going to get through this door. I feel very confident that my chickens will be safe, and let me tell you, we love our chickens. They are all named and have their own little personalities, and my kids have very special attachments to certain hens in there.

      I feel safe and confident using this automatic chicken coop door and trust it fully.

       

      Settings

      I am using the light sensor setting and haven't yet tried the app, the manual mode or the configurator online. I am quite happy with the light sensor and I think I will stick to it.

       

      Battery Operated

      The battery life states that it will last one year (as long as you go with a high-quality AA battery such as Duracell) so I simply put that into my calendar on my phone to remind me (I do this a bit before the 1 year mark just to be safe).

      This is a long life for this battery operated door!

      There is a low battery indicator light to give you an idea of the where the battery life is at: a red blinking light means the battery is either empty or nearly empty.

       

      Would I Recommend The RUN-CHICKEN Automatic Coop Door?

      The RUN-CHICKEN automatic chicken door is a product I would whole-heartedly recommend to any poultry owner, as this will work as an automatic duck door as well. This automated door has made my life easier as a chicken keeper and it keeps the chickens safe. I think this is something every poultry owner should try. This is the best door opener for a chicken coop, and it looks great as well.

      Again, beware of cheap knock-off's posing as RUN-CHICKEN.

      This is the authentic RUN-CHICKEN coop door on Amazon

      Coop Door Automated

       

      Automatic Chicken Door Colors

      The door comes in the following colors (Click each for color comparisons):

        *The photos you are seeing in my review article are of my automatic chicken door in Rhode Island Red.

        Here are some other benefits of using Run-Chicken automatic coop door:

        1. Chickens are fully protected from predators

        2. It saves time from you having to open and close the doors in the mornings and at night

        3. You may get more eggs because chickens feel safe (less stress)

        4. It is energy-efficient; no wires, extension cord or electricity involved

        5. Programmable opening and closing time if you want to set it up manually

         

        We hope you found this review article of the RUN-CHICKEN automatic chicken coop door helpful and informative. Since we replaced our sliding door with this automated chicken coop door, we have been really happy with it and not having to go out at night to lock them in or let them out in the morning, and we are sure you will like it as well.

         

        Here are some other chicken-related articles you may be interested in:

        How To Bear Proof A Coop

        The Mask You Need For Cleaning Out A Coop

        Best Chicken Egg Incubator

        Automatic Chicken Waterers

        How To Keep Chickens Warm In The Winter Without Electricity

        Best Chicken Coop Cameras To Keep Your Flock Safe

         

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        10 comments

        • LINNEA - The Farmers Cupboard: May 29, 2024

          Hey Jen, what a great question!! I would assume that it is difficult to open if the motor were to fail, but I am not sure. I can reach out to the brand and ask them directly (I have asked lots of questions when looking into purchasing it initially, they are great at getting back to you). What I can tell you, is that the entire unit is quick to pop out with your screwdriver if that were to happen, so you could always do that. Will come back on here and respond when I can look into it!

        • Jen: May 29, 2024

          Hi… I was looking at buying this unit, but I couldn’t find the answer to one question. If the motor fails for any reason, how easy/difficult is it to open the door manually? If something goes wrong with the mechanism, can you just lift it open? Many thanks :)

        • LINNEA - The Farmers Cupboard: March 19, 2023

          Hi Hofer, this auto coop door has an app you can open and close it with. I had planned on trying it out but never did as I like the setting where it opens and closes automatically with the sunrise and sunset. You can check it out on their website or their product listing but I am pretty sure that yes, you can. Just be sure to double check :)

        • Hofer Alois: March 19, 2023

          Can i open and close the door with handyapp?
          Connecting door with wlan,then close and open from anywhere?

        • LINNEA - The Farmers Cupboard: February 16, 2023

          Hello Happy Henhouse! Thanks so much for the kind, supportive message! I’m so glad this article helped you out. Will keep working on putting out great new content. Thanks!

        • Happy Henhouse: February 16, 2023

          Hey LINNEA, just now i go through your blog. And i must say that all the terms are explained properly. For my farm i am facing some difficulties. Your content actually help me a lot. Made things easier. Keep publishing such valuable content.

        • LINNEA - The Farmers Cupboard: January 13, 2023

          Hey Christy, game changer, right??? Yes the door specifies that its usable environmental conditions are in the temperature range of −15 °F to 140 °F (−26 °C to 60 °C) so that makes sense. I have found most doors have the same if not similar extreme temperature ratings.

        • Christy Pettes: January 13, 2023

          Love my T50. I have learned that if it rains and then the temperature drops below freezing that the door usually doesn’t open. Other than that it’s never failed.

        • LINNEA - The Farmers Cupboard: November 01, 2022

          Hi Soheila, I know exactly how you feel! As soon as we installed ours, it was like our life got so much easier… Thanks so much for coming back and letting us know how the install went for you and how you’re enjoying it :) :) We love finding and recommending really great products like these!

        • Soheila Safari: November 01, 2022

          I just set up my T50 automatic chicken door. It arrived so fast and so easy to install even though I’m a girl with no technical know how. Last night the door closed and this morning it opened by itself. Made my life so easy. Thank you so much. Soheila from New Zealand

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