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Omlet Universal Automatic Coop Door – the Review

I’m calling this page a review, but really I just want to show you what an amazing product the Omlet Universal Automatic Coop Door (the Autodoor) actually is.

I also want to explain how you can use an automatic coop door to keep your chickens safer and happier while also making your life much easier too.

Image of the Omlet Automatic coop door
Image credit Omlet.co.uk (permission given)

Before I start, I just need to let you know that at Pentagon Pets, we only recommend the best quality products which in many cases we’ve tried and tested. This page contains links to a product which is available via affiliate partners (Omlet & Amazon) – for full information you can read our privacy policy here.


Why do you need an automatic chicken coop door

An automatic coop door might sound like a luxury item for chickens but it can actually be a godsend to chicken owners who for some reason can’t be around in the morning to let hens out of the coop or to shut them in at dusk.

Thanks to automatic coop doors, Sunday morning lie-ins can now be possible again because you don’t have to worry about getting up and going out in the cold to let your chickens out of the coop.

Find out more about the Omlet Autodoor via the link below:

Universal Automatic Chicken Coop Door

Letting chickens out of the coop in the morning

Letting chickens out of the coop in the morning is essential for their well-being. Once the sun rises, chickens naturally become active and ready to forage. Open the coop door after dawn to ensure their safety from nocturnal predators. Providing them with free range or a secure run allows them to exercise, forage, and exhibit natural behaviors.

Chickens also tend to lay eggs in the morning and if they’re kept in the coop for too long the eggs will get kicked around and will become dirty or broken.

Broken eggs will encourage egg eating which can lead to chickens pecking at and eating eggs as soon as they’re laid if they get a taste for them.

This will become more of an issue in summer when it becomes lighter much earlier than it does in the winter. It’s pretty unrealistic for most chicken owners to get up in the early hours to let chickens into the run.

The Omlet automatic coop door can be set to open either at a specific time of your choosing or by using the light sensor which will open the door when it becomes light.

This article was first published on November 6, 2020 by Pentagon-Pets.

In the height of summer when the days are very long, it’s better to use a timer to stop the door opening too early to prevent any risk from potential predators who may still be roaming around.

Closing the chicken coop when it gets dark

As soon as dusk comes and it starts to go dark chickens will instinctively move into the safety of the coop to roost for the night.

Once it goes dark chickens will stay in the coop because they can’t see in the dark and they know it’s unsafe for them to be outside.

If you have to work late or you’re away for the night an automatic coop door can give you the peace of mind that your chickens will be safely closed up once it goes dark, without having to ask someone to come around to do it for you.

The automatic door can be programmed to either close at a specific time or by using the light sensor option.

The light sensor option is great because the time chickens will go into roost will change as the weeks go by depending on the season. For example, in December in the UK chickens will enter the coop at around 4:30 pm, but if the timer isn’t set until 8:30 pm, the coop door would be open during four hours of roosting time.


How does the Omlet Autodoor work?

The Omlet Autodoor is designed to neatly fit onto an Omlet Cube Coop and because it’s universal it can also be fitted to any other type of coop which has a pop hole.

The Autodoor is a sliding door with a timer and sensor which can be attached to the outside of the coop or run. The door will safely close or open at a time of your choosing.

Although the Autodoor can be run from mains electricity via a plug, there’s also an option to run it on AA batteries instead, which is perfect for coops where electricity isn’t an option.

Find out more about the Omlet Cube Coop via the link below:

Omlet Cube Chicken Coop

How can you fit the Autodoor to a wooden coop?

Installing an Omlet Autodoor to a traditional wooden coop is a great way to make a coop extra secure.

The door can be turned upside down so that it opens either way, from the left or right.

Most chicken coop pop holes are a similar size, so the Autodoor should fit onto pretty much any chicken wooden coop door.

You also have the option to install the door into the inside of the coop if it doesn’t fit well on the outside (see image on the left below).

Find out more via the link below:

Pentagon Pet is the owner of this article that was first published on November 6, 2020.

Universal Automatic Chicken Coop Door
Image credit Omlet.co.uk (permission given)

Fitting an automatic chicken coop door to a run

The Autodoor can also be fitted to a chicken run, which is a great way to allow chickens to free-range during the day even if you’re not there.

This can be used in the same way as the coop door and allows you to choose what time your chickens go out to free-range and to make sure the run is secure once dusk falls and the chickens have returned to roost.

The door can be installed to any run made from wire mesh or fencing and additional attachments can be used to make the structure extra strong and secure.

You can see the full range of Autodoor Fixing Packs and Accessories via the link below:

Autodoor Fixing Packs & Accessories

Below are examples of how the Autodoor can be fitted to a chicken run:

Image of the Omlet Autodoor fitted to a run
Image credit Omlet.co.uk (permission given)

How to install the Omlet Universal Automatic Coop Door (Autodoor)

All Omlet products come with a really good step by step instructions in the form of an easy to follow booklet. The instructions include fitting to a wood (non-Omlet) coop as well as fitting to the Omlet Cube and a wire mesh chicken run.

Below is a brief overview of what you’ll need to fit the Autodoor to either the Omlet Cube, a wooden coop or a chicken run:

Fitting the Autodoor to an Omlet Cube Coop

Fitting the Autodoor to the Omlet Cube is probably the easiest way to install an automatic coop door, this is because the Cube is designed to be compatible with the Autodoor.

The Cube already has drilled holes which are in the right places to easily attach the Autodoor using a screwdriver.

Fitting the Autodoor to a wooden chicken coop

Fitting the Autodoor to a wooden coop is also easy, but you will need to drill holes in the right places so that the door can be screwed onto the outside or inside of the coop wall.

The video below shows simple step by step instructions on how you can do this on pretty much any chicken wooden chicken coop.

Fitting the Autodoor to a chicken run

Fitting the Autodor to a chicken run or fence is easy to do because you just need to clip open a hole in the space where the door will be.

The instructional video below shows you how to do this, along with how you can strengthen the mesh with an additional attachment – see the range of Fixing packs and accessories via the link below:

Autodoor Fixing Packs & Accessories

Video instructions to fit the Omlet Autodoor

The video below has been developed by Omlet and shows full step-by-step instructions if you have a wooden coop or you’re fitting the Autodoor to a run you might want to skip through the first part of the video.


Installing an Omlet Coop Light

The Omlet Coop Light attaches to the Autodoor and is good to have if you have new chickens who you want to get used to a new coop or if your coop is just in a dark place and you want to check up on your chickens.

The light works alongside the Autodoor and it will come on five minutes before the door is due to close, prompting the chickens to go inside.

You can also manually switch on the light whenever you want.

The Omlet Coop Light can be easily attached to any coop and comes with everything you need to get it installed.

Find out more about the Omlet Coop Light via the link below:

Omlet Coop Light
Image of the Omlet coop light
Image credit Omlet.co.uk (permission given)

More FAQ’s about the Omlet Autodoor

How do you know if chickens are in the coop when an automatic coop door closes?

If you use the light sensor setting on the automatic coop door, the door will close at a time when it goes dark. Chickens instinctively know to go into the coop at dusk because they can’t see in the dark and they know the coop is a safe place to roost. A coop light can also help to guide the chickens in before the door is due to close.

What if a chicken is in the doorway when the Autodoor closes?

The Omlet Autodoor has built-in sensors which will detect if anything is in the doorway as it closes. The door closes gently and if it does close while a chicken is there, it will gently re-open without harming the chicken.

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This article and its contents are owned by Pentagon Pets and was first published on November 6, 2020.

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