Soon to be new chicken owners

[bonscotty]

We are in the north east and are getting chicks in mid- March. We are currently shopping for automatic coop door but have a question about the vertcal holes for the sprocket - do they cause a terrible draft in the winter months, any solutions?

 

[Debbie292d]

Hiya, and welcome to BYC!! I don't have one of those but our chicken door is left open all day. It doesn't cause much of a draft.

There are a couple of auto door companies that are sponsors of BYC, just saying.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/byc-sponsors.47707/

 

[dawg53]

Welcome to BYC. I've never used automatic coop doors.

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC, and good luck in establishing your flock.

 

[Evadig]

Salve (Latin for hello) and congratulations on your upcoming new chicks! I have never used an automatic door.

 

[janiedoe]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[Jenbirdee]

hello and welcome!!
i am the automatic door lol
i automatically go outside at sunrise and sunset
i think it would be a nice thing to have though , hope yours works well for you. i know some people can’t always be home like me.

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
Don't rely too much on automatic doors. They are notorious for malfunctioning. More than one chicken has also met her demise in them. As for the holes, as long as they do not permit air blowing directly across roosted birds they are nothing more than added ventilation provided they are not larger than 1/2". If they are, reinforce them with hardware cloth to prevent the entrance of predators.

 

[Nomadicus]

Hello and Welcome to BYC.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

I have never used automatic doors, I'd be worried somebody would get locked out at night or it didn't shut properly and something gets in at night. I need a visual on all doors, windows and chickens at bedtime. But some folks love them! We all do things differently.

Welcome to our community!