Do automatic coop doors work for ducks

[Tevyes Dad]

@Tevyes Dad He has one for his ducks

Since I put the secure kennel in (which surrounds the ducks' door), I just leave the door open and we let the ducks into the kennel manually (they can go in and out of the house as they please). When I was using it, it worked well except for once when it didn't open for some reason (never happened again). Because of that, we lost a duck (Our duck house wasn't made for them to be in it through the mid-day heat). So I fully appreciate an automatic door for the convenience of letting the birds out from bed / remotely, but make sure you actually monitor that it works and have a back up plan if your house isn't made for them to be able to be inside all day.

 

[onaharley]

Since I put the secure kennel in (which surrounds the ducks' door), I just leave the door open and we let the ducks into the kennel manually (they can go in and out of the house as they please). When I was using it, it worked well except for once when it didn't open for some reason (never happened again). Because of that, we lost a duck (Our duck house wasn't made for them to be in it through the mid-day heat). So I fully appreciate an automatic door for the convenience of letting the birds out from bed / remotely, but make sure you actually monitor that it works and have a back up plan if your house isn't made for them to be able to be inside all day.

Point taken! Thanks for the insight. Their coop is a 10x10ft with no winter house yet. once they are locked up they have access to food and water, so if a door malfunction should happen they would be out of harms way! But come winter time I'm not sure I would use this option......

 

[RebinNH]

My Khaki Campbells go back into their coop every night once it goes dark, on their own........although that's not 'normal duck behaviour' ...... It MIGHT be possible to train them to go in at dusk (although they would expect lots of mealworms as rewards).

I know that "Flyte So Fancy" (although it is a UK based company, they would probably ship) do special duck doors, which require you to herd them in and shut them in yourself at night, and it lets them out in the morning for you.

Actually I contacted Flyte So Fancy and they don't like automatic doors. We'll need to search elsewhere.

 

[Barefoot Farmer]

@Tevyes Dad

Yes I have 2 muskovy and 4 Pekins , get a door with timer you can set put for 1 hour after dark by then they are zzzz in there coop

 

[RebinNH]

Where did you get the door? I still have not purchased one but it sure would be handy.

 

[telandra2]

I have an automatic turkey-sized door I got from Amazon that both the ducks and my geese use. Mine is no longer for sale there but there should be other options. Omlet sells a chicken door -- though I'm not sure its ducks sized. Tractor supply has them: again chicken sized. Your feed store might be able to order something.

Mine has a dawn/dusk sensor with no delay options so I added a light strip on a timer near the sensor. It also has a remote for manual opening and closing which does come in handy for shooing in stray birds.