TIL that $40 automatic door closer saved my flock last winter

I bought a cheap automatic chicken door closer on Amazon for $40 back in November after losing two birds to a raccoon. That little gadget popped the door shut at dusk every single night through January when I was stuck at work late. Has anyone else had luck with those magnetic timer models or did you get burned by a dud?

2 comments

2 Comments

sarahsullivan1d ago

Friend of mine had one of those magnetic timer models. Worked great for six months then the magnet got weak and the door wouldn't stay latched. A fox got in and killed three of her hens. She was gutted. I stuck with a basic mechanical timer door after hearing that story. Simple stuff fails less often in my experience.

felix_jones7h ago

Damn that sucks. I feel for your friend honestly, that's the kind of thing that sticks with you for a long time. Losing birds to a predator like that is brutal, especially when you thought you had them safe. I get why she'd go back to a simple mechanical setup after that, peace of mind is everything with these things. My $40 door has been solid so far but stories like that make me paranoid lol. I check the latch every morning now just in case. It's rough out there for backyard flocks man.