PSA: I bought a cheap automatic coop door and it cost me way more than just money

So last fall I saw an automatic chicken coop door online for like $40, which seemed like a steal compared to the $150+ ones. Figured I'd save some cash and not have to worry about letting the girls out at dawn. Big mistake lol. The thing got stuck halfway open during our first real cold snap in December, right when it was about 15 degrees overnight. I woke up to a freezing coop and three of my hens with frostbite on their combs. The vet bill alone was over $200 to treat them, not to mention the stress on the birds. I had to rip the stupid thing out and go back to my old manual latch. Honestly, I feel so dumb for trying to cheap out on something so important. Has anyone else had a bad experience with a specific brand of automatic door they want to warn people about?

2 comments

2 Comments

charlie_fisher4522d ago

Yeah, the real cost is the trust you lose. After something like that, you're checking that door every single night anyway, which kills the whole point of having it automatic.

quinn_nguyen22d ago

That's rough, but sometimes it's just bad luck, not the price. My cheap one has been fine for two winters now. Maybe you just got a faulty unit.