Update on automatic door and putting themselves to bed!

[yarrowhouse]

Last year we bought an automatic door for our ducks. We put them away each night for safety, let them out each morning. We went with the 'turkey door' from chickendoors.com. We appreciated chatting with them before purchase in this old thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/anyone-have-experience-with-chickendoors-com.1603565/

The automatic door was an immediate victory as it saved us the morning trip to let them out.

More recently, our regular timing of putting them away each night has paid off - now they put themselves to bed! Based on camera footage, the old Pekin drake is the instigator of bedtime. The ladies want to have a pool party, he gets out first and clucks at them to join him going to bed. And they go. Very satisfying.

Also just to add, many thanks to chickendoors.com both upfront answering our questions, but also very communicative and supportive when we reach out with questions and maintaining the door. They've been great.

 

[Debbie292d]

That's awesome!

Next spring we're hoping to put automatic doors on all of the coops. That's going to cost a small fortune so we've held off. We need six of them.

 

[yarrowhouse]

That's awesome!

Next spring we're hoping to put automatic doors on all of the coops. That's going to cost a small fortune so we've held off. We need six of them.

Oh my yes. They aren't cheap. But super fun to have the system working once you get there...

 

[yarrowhouse]

To add for clarity, since this came up on another thread. We don't rely only on the automatic door and them going to bed on their own for safety. They are in a fully enclosed run as well. So the 'bedtime' ritual is an even-more-secure hutch inside the run, to keep the out of sight of predators and get them to lay eggs in a consistent spot.