What is an automatic chicken door?

It's a chicken size door installed on your chicken coop or run that opens and closes using a timer or light sensor to keep your flock safe from predators like foxes at night.

The Safe Coop® automatic chicken door comes with everything you need including the auto-locking door and the automatic door controller.

Why you need an automatic chicken door

Relax knowing your chickens are safe 

Safe Coop® automatic chicken doors lock shut every night and are proven to keep your chickens safe from the harshest poultry predators in Australia including foxes, quolls, dingoes, Tasmanian devils and feral cats. 

Sleep in on cold winter mornings 

The Safe Coop® chicken door automatically lets your hens out of their coop each morning so you can enjoy guilt-free sleep-ins. Your chickens will still be excited to see you when you come with their morning treats! 

Never rush home to close the coop door again

Your Safe Coop® automatic door will protect your chickens by closing and locking the coop door before nocturnal predators come out. Whether you're home from work on time or running late, your chickens will be safe. 

Making your holidays easier 

The days of worrying about who will lock up the chicken coop while you’re away are over. Your Safe Coop® automatic chicken door gives you peace of mind that your chickens are resting easy at night while you’re on holiday or away for the weekend. 

Loved by chickens 

Chickens thrive under a regular routine. The Safe Coop® automatic chicken door will let your chickens out at the same time each morning, reducing stress and leading to healthier and happier hens.

Why choose Safe Coop®

Quality construction for your piece of mind

All it takes is one night for a fox to kill your entire flock. Don’t risk a cheap automatic chicken door. The Safe Coop® automatic chicken door is built from quality materials including UV resistant ASA plastic, stainless steel and brass to protect your flock over a long and dependable working life. 

Locks shut to ensure your chickens are safe 

Your Safe Coop® chicken door will automatically lock shut every night. This keeps your chickens safe from the most cunning predators. The door will automatically unlock every morning.  

Flexible door opening and closing options to suit your needs 

The Safe Coop® automatic chicken door can be set up to suit your individual needs. Choose whether the door automatically opens at a set time or when a chosen light level is reached each morning. You can set a door closing time, light level, or a combination of both for an extra layer of security.  

Intelligent light sensor to save you time 

Your Safe Coop® automatic chicken door has an adjustable light sensor. Once an opening and closing light level is selected, the Safe Coop® chicken door monitors the seasons and adjusts the sensitivity of the light sensor to ensure the door always opens and closes at the right time. This means you don’t have to adjust the light sensor throughout the year, saving you time. 

An automatic door that won’t harm your chickens 

Unlike other automatic chicken doors, the Safe Coop® chicken door will never force the door shut. This means a curious chicken that wanders under a closing door won’t be harmed. 

Suitable for outdoor chicken runs and pens

Wouldn’t it be nice if your hens could be automatically let out of their chicken run or pen during the day to free range when you’re not home? Set up a second Safe Coop® automatic chicken door on your chicken run or pen so your hens can free-range around your garden after they’ve laid their eggs. 

One model with every feature included 

We think every flock deserves the ultimate level of security, so every Safe Coop® automatic chicken door comes with every feature as standard.  

Easy to install and maintain 

The Safe Coop® automatic chicken door is designed to fit on almost any chicken coop. It’s powered by four AA batteries that only need changing once every two years.

Automatic chicken door FAQs

Popular questions

Do I need an automatic chicken door?

If you don’t have an automatic chicken door you can let your chickens out every morning and lock them up every night yourself. Ensure you don’t forget to close the door before it gets dark every night, as an open door leaves your chickens vulnerable to foxes and other nocturnal predators. 

Once you’ve installed an automatic chicken door, you can sleep in and come home late from work without needing to worry about your chickens. Therefore, automatic chicken doors are becoming a must-have for many poultry keepers.

Why shouldn't I buy a cheap automatic chicken door?

Automatic chicken doors have become increasingly popular and there are many budget friendly options available. However, cheap automatic chicken doors are built to a budget, meaning the true cost can be waking up to find the door failed and your entire flock has been killed by a fox. 

In the long run, a Safe Coop® automatic chicken door will save you time, money, and stress compared to a cheap, low quality automatic chicken door. 

See our full article on the dangers of cheap automatic chicken doors here.

Can poultry other than chickens use the automatic chicken door?

Yes, the door is the perfect size for all chicken breeds, ducks, guinea fowl and other poultry of a similar size. 

If your automatic chicken door will be used by large poultry species, such as geese, you might like to consider one of the larger door options available through Safe Coop® authorised retailers.

Will the Safe Coop® automatic door fit on my chicken coop?

You can fit a Safe Coop® automatic chicken door on almost any chicken coop. 

The Safe Coop® automatic chicken door comes with the door and a door controller that sits above the door. The total space taken up on the coop wall including all components (the door controller, door, and door runners) is 82 cm tall and 30 cm wide. See our guide on installing an automatic chicken door for further details, including options if you don’t have this much space on your chicken coop wall. 

There are other door options available if you don’t have a space on your coop that is 82 cm high and 30 cm wide through Safe Coop® authorised retailers.

How does the door open, close and lock automatically?

The door controller is connected to the door by a cord that is raised or lowered to slide the door up and down the door runners. 

When the door closes, two locking bolts at the bottom of the door extend to securely lock the door shut. The locking mechanism will be disengaged when the cord is wound up to open the door in the morning.

Will my order be sent directly from Safe Coop®?

Yes, when you purchase your automatic coop door directly from Safe Coop® we will promptly dispatch your order from our own Australian warehouse.

Coop security questions

What are the most common nocturnal chicken predators in Australia?

By far the most common nocturnal chicken predator on mainland Australia are foxes.

Feral and domesticated cats, dogs, and Australian native animals like quolls, owls, snakes and dingoes also pose a threat to your chickens during the night. Safe Coop® will keep your flock safe from all of these predators every night. 

You can view our full guide on the most common Australian nocturnal chicken predators for more information.

How does Safe Coop® keep my chickens safe from the most cunning fox?

Your Safe Coop® automatic chicken door will physically lock the door shut with two strong locking bolts, so a smart fox cannot slide the door up the door runners. This provides the ultimate level of security to ensure a fox doesn’t get through the door to harm your chickens at night.

Will Safe Coop® keep my fox safe from cats, dogs, and dingoes?

Yes, the door is strong and will defend your chickens from a large dog or dingo trying to break in. The automatic locking mechanism also prevents dogs and cats from sliding the closed door up the door runners.

Will Safe Coop® keep my flock safe from native predators such as quolls and Tasmanian devils?

Yes, we’ve seen quolls and Tasmanian devils on trap cameras try and fail to access chicken coops protected by a Safe Coop® automatic chicken door. 

The door has strong layers of ASA plastic and aluminium to stop a Tasmanian devil from chewing its way through.

Will the Safe Coop® door keep my flock safe from pythons and goannas?

Yes, the solid construction and locking bolts are strong enough to withstand pythons and goannas to keep your chickens safe.

Safe Coop® door installation questions 

What size is the Safe Coop® automatic chicken door?

The chicken door itself is 26 cm wide and 32 cm tall. It’s the perfect size for all chicken and duck breeds. 

The door opening cutout in your chicken coop should be no larger than 25 cm wide and 30 cm tall (if your existing door cutout is larger than this, check out the larger door options available through other Safe Coop® authorised retailers).

Can the door be installed on timber, metal, cement sheet, corrugated iron, or mesh wire coop walls?

Yes, you can install your Safe Coop® automatic chicken door on almost any coop wall. Depending on the wall material, you might need to take some additional steps during installation. 

You can view our guide on how to install the Safe Coop® automatic chicken door, which covers information on how to install the chicken door on all types of coop wall surfaces, including timber, cement sheet, corrugated iron and wire coops for more information

Can I install the automatic door on my outdoor chicken run?

Yes, you can also set up an automatic chicken door on your chicken run to allow your chooks to free range around your garden. 

Around one third of customers choose to purchase two automatic chicken doors, one for their chicken coop and another to attach to their outdoor chicken pen/run.

Can I install the automatic door on my portable chicken coop?

Yes, you can set up a Safe Coop® automatic chicken door on a portable chicken coop. 

Further information on setting up the automatic chicken door on different types of chicken coops can be found in our article How to install an automatic chicken door on your chicken coop.

Is the Safe Coop® automatic chicken door easy to install?

The Safe Coop® automatic chicken door has been designed to be easy to install. It can simply be attached to your chicken coop wall using a handheld Phillips head screwdriver and the self-tapping screws provided.

If your coop doesn’t already have a chicken sized door cutout (around 32 cm high and 25 cm wide), you’ll need to make one for your chickens to walk through. 

The instructions that come with the Safe Coop® automatic chicken door contain detailed information and helpful diagrams to make installation easy. 

You can also view our guide on how to install an automatic chicken coop door for more information.

What tools will I need to install my automatic chicken door?

You’ll only need a Phillips head screwdriver to attach the Safe Coop® automatic chicken door. We also recommend having a spirit level to ensure the door is installed straight.

What will arrive in the box?

You’ll receive the automatic locking door, door runners, door controller and all the screws you need to install your automatic chicken door. 

Make sure you have four standard 1.5-volt AA batteries ready to go. Everything else is included.

Safe Coop® automatic chicken doors come with all features as standard, so you won’t need to purchase any optional accessories or upgrades to get the most out of your automatic chicken door.

Safe Coop® door power questions

How is the Safe Coop® automatic chicken door powered?

The Safe Coop® automatic chicken door is powered by four standard 1.5-volt AA batteries. 

The door is highly energy efficient, so the batteries will usually last at least two years before they need changing. 

It’s quick and easy to replace the batteries, and because the door is powered by standard AA batteries, you’ll never struggle to find replacements.

How will I know when the batteries need replacing?

There’s a battery level indicator so you can easily tell how much battery life is left. 

The batteries should be replaced when there is one bar of battery life remaining (at this stage, there is around three months of battery life left). 

If you forget to check the battery level indicator and there’s only a few weeks of battery life left, a bright red LED light that can be seen from 100 metres away will flash to get your attention.

Is there a solar powered version of the automatic chicken door?

The solar powered version of the Safe Coop® automatic chicken door was discontinued due to low demand compared to the AA battery powered version. 

The batteries in the AA battery powered version only need replacing around every two years and there’s no need to install a solar panel. The long battery life and simplicity of the AA battery powered version make it a great option instead of solar. 

You can view our full guide on choosing between a battery powered or solar powered automatic chicken door here.

Safe Coop® settings questions

Can I set the door to automatically open at a specific time in the morning?

Yes, you can choose a door opening time. The door will then open automatically at this time every morning until you adjust the settings.

Can I set the door to automatically open when the sun rises in the morning?

Yes, the Safe Coop® automatic chicken door has a built-in adjustable light sensor. You can choose the brightness at which the door will open. For example, you could set the door to open at sunrise or once the sun is higher in the sky. Once set, the door will open automatically when this light level is reached each morning. 

The light sensor has intelligent features, including the ability to monitor the seasons and adjust the sensitivity of the light sensor as the seasons change. This saves you time, as you won’t need to constantly adjust the light sensor as daylight hours change throughout the year.

Can I set the door to close at a specific time in the evening?

Yes, you can set the door to close at your chosen time in the evening.

Can I set the door to close when the sun sets in the evening?

Yes, the door can be set to close automatically in the evening at a light level of your choosing.

Can I use the light sensor AND timer to close the door depending on which occurs first?

Yes, you can use a combination of the light sensor and timer to automatically close the door. 

This provides an extra layer of security to ensure the door closes before nocturnal predators come out at night.

Can I set the door to open and close manually?

Yes, you can stop the door from opening and/or closing automatically. The door will then only move when the up or down button is pressed. 

This feature is particularly helpful if you’re adding new chickens to your flock and you want them to get used to their pen before allowing them to free range. The previous automatic settings will be saved ready to be used again once the new chickens have settled in.