- Battery powered: 4 × AA (not included); Omlet lists a 6-month battery life.
- Opens and closes by light sensor (dusk and dawn) or by timer.
- Sideways-sliding door with built-in safety sensors; fits either way up to open left or right.
- Fits all wooden coops with screws and installs directly on Eglu Cube and Eglu Pro.
- Buy from the official Omlet listing; imitation Eglu-style products exist.
This Omlet Autodoor review covers the original battery Autodoor (listing model “Autodoor”), the automatic chicken coop door Omlet sells for its Eglu coops and for wooden coops. A newer smart version adds app control. This review is about the light-sensor and timer model on this listing.
We used Omlet’s listing and product pages, plus extension guidance on predator-proofing. We did not install one. Mounting details vary by coop, so follow Omlet’s fitting instructions for your setup.
Who it’s for, and who should skip it
- Own an Omlet Eglu Cube or Eglu Pro and want a door that installs directly
- Have a wooden coop with little vertical space above the pop hole, where a sideways door fits better
- Want to stop opening and closing the coop by hand at dawn and dusk
- Have no power at the coop and prefer AA batteries over solar or wiring
- Value a safety sensor that stops the door closing on a late hen
- Want app control and phone alerts (look at Omlet’s smart Autodoor or the Run-Chicken T50)
- Would rather never change batteries (consider a solar door)
- Need a self-locking guillotine door kit included
- Have an Eglu Go and have not checked which Omlet door kit fits it
Pros and cons
- Light sensor or timer, so it can follow the seasons automatically
- Built-in safety sensors protect hens in the doorway
- Sideways slide fits where there is no room above the opening
- Can be fitted to open left or right
- Waterproof casing to IPX6, per Omlet
- Installs directly on Eglu Cube and Eglu Pro; screws onto wooden coops
- 4 × AA batteries are not included
- Battery changes are needed; Omlet lists about 6 months per set
- No app control on this version
- Overall size of about 19.3 × 16.5 in (listing) needs a flat area of wall
- Does not make a weak coop predator-proof on its own
Specs
| Power | Battery |
|---|---|
| Trigger | Light sensor or timer |
| Safety | Built-in safety sensors |
As stated by the maker or seller; confirm on the listing before you buy.
How does the Omlet Autodoor work?
The Autodoor is a framed door panel driven by a sealed motor unit, with a separate control panel. In light-sensor mode it closes at dusk and opens at dawn. Omlet points out that this follows the seasons on its own as day length changes. In timer mode, you set fixed opening and closing times. A lie-in setting is not needed: hens get out on schedule whether or not you are home.
The door slides sideways rather than dropping on a cord. That has two practical effects. It needs width beside the pop hole instead of height above it, and it is driven both ways rather than relying on gravity to close. The safety sensors stop the door closing if something is in the way. Omlet calls this protection for “hens that dawdle in the doorway.”
Fitting the Autodoor to an Eglu or a wooden coop
On an Eglu Cube or Eglu Pro, Omlet says the Autodoor installs directly to the coop. Omlet sells versions with a control-panel bracket for these coops. On a wooden coop, the door frame screws onto the outside wall over the pop hole and can be fitted either way up, so it opens to the left or right. Omlet also sells an attachment kit for mounting the Autodoor on its runs, and its current product pages describe fitting it to a Walk In Run or chicken wire.
- Measure first
The listing gives the unit as about 19.3 × 2.3 × 16.5 in. Check you have a flat area of wall that size around the pop hole, and room for the door to slide.
- Choose the slide direction
Fit it to open toward the side with clear space and away from hinges, latches or nest boxes.
- Mount the control panel
Place it where you can reach it and where the light sensor sees the sky, not a porch light or a shaded corner.
- Set the mode
Choose light sensor for dusk and dawn, or timer for fixed times. Watch the first few evenings to be sure every hen is in before it closes.
- Check weekly
Clear bedding, mud or snow from the track, and test the safety sensor by gently blocking the doorway.
Is an automatic coop door predator-proof?
An automatic door fixes one weak point: the pop hole left open after dark because nobody got home in time. It does not fix the rest of the coop. Raccoons open simple latches, weasels and rats get through gaps of an inch or less, and chicken wire keeps chickens in but does not keep predators out. Hardware cloth over vents and windows, sturdy latches on nest-box lids and an apron or buried mesh around the run all still matter.
Timing matters too. A light sensor closes the door at dusk whether or not every hen has gone in. Watch the first week to see if a late hen gets locked out, and use timer mode or adjust the setting if needed. Our guide to protecting chickens from predators lists the predator-by-predator fixes. The flock care checklist puts the nightly headcount and weekly door check on your routine.
Winter, batteries and everyday care
Cold shortens AA battery life, so the six-month figure is best treated as a typical case. Keep a spare set in the feed room, and change them before a cold snap rather than during it. Ice and packed snow are the other winter risk for any door. Keep the track clear, and check the door is closing fully on frosty evenings. For more on cold-weather care, including ventilation and water, see how to keep chickens warm in winter.
Omlet sells a coop light designed to run with the Autodoor, if you want light in the coop at dusk. If you would rather have app control, notifications and an optional mains cable, Omlet’s smart Autodoor is the newer model in the range.
Omlet Autodoor vs ChickenGuard and Run-Chicken
The Autodoor’s closest rivals take different approaches. ChickenGuard is a vertical cord-lift opener, and its Premium kit adds a self-locking aluminum door. Run-Chicken’s T50 is a vertical aluminum door with app control over Bluetooth and a motor lock. If you own an Eglu, the Autodoor’s direct fit usually decides it. On a wooden coop, compare your wall space: sideways (Omlet) or upward (ChickenGuard, Run-Chicken). We compare two of them head to head in ChickenGuard vs Omlet Autodoor and rank more in best automatic chicken coop doors.
Browse the coop automation hub for doors, lights and cameras, or the small backyards hub for compact setups.
Alternatives worth a look
ChickenGuard Premium Opener with Self-Locking Door Kit
- Power
- Battery
- Trigger
- Timer or light sensor
- Predator lock
- Self-locking pop-hole door
Best for Retrofitting a secure pop hole
Why consider it: ChickenGuard Premium lifts vertical doors up to 1 kg (2.2 lb) by timer or light sensor and comes with a self-locking pop-hole door kit and a 3-year warranty.
RUN-CHICKEN T50 Automatic Coop Door, Aluminum
- Power
- Battery
- Trigger
- App, timer or light sensor
- Connectivity
- Bluetooth app
Best for App-controlled door schedules
Why consider it: Run-Chicken T50 is an aluminum vertical door with app, timer or light-sensor control and anti-pinch reversing, on two AA batteries.
JVR Light-Sensor Automatic Coop Door, Aluminum
- Power
- Battery
- Trigger
- Light sensor
- Door size
- 11 x 12 in opening
Best for Doors that follow the seasons
Light sensor only: JVR’s aluminum light-sensor door lists an 11 × 12 in opening and a screw-rod actuator.
Brinsea ChickSafe Advance Automatic Coop Door Opener
- Power
- Battery
- Trigger
- Light sensor and programmable timer
- Safety
- Stops if bird in doorway
Best for Keepers wanting timer and light control
Why consider it: Brinsea ChickSafe Advance combines a light sensor with a programmable timer and stops if a bird is in the doorway, with a 3-year warranty.
We read the maker’s specs, manual and the current listing, and checked them against extension, CDC, USDA and FDA guidance where it applies. We did not hatch eggs in, house birds in, install or lab-test this product. We never show scores, star ratings or prices.