The Omlet Blog Archives: November 2019

Should I shut the door to my Eglu at night?

Omlet Eglu Cube Chicken Coop shut with Omlet Autodoor - Automatic Chicken Coop Door

Here at Omlet we often receive calls from aspiring chicken keepers who are seeking chicken keeping advice before getting their first birds. Some of the most popular questions we get asked are, what should I feed my chicken with or how can I protect my chickens from predators? One question that keeps coming up is, do I need to shut the Eglu door at night?

Often people ask us this question because the idea of adding another task to their daily routine might be one of the reasons which puts them off chicken keeping. Much like you wouldn’t like to sleep with your front door open, unfortunately for chicken keepers, nor do your chickens, therefore most nights we would recommend you close the chicken coop door.

But having to close the door doesn’t necessarily mean that it would need to be done by the chicken keeper themselves! Have you ever thought about automatic door system? Well luckily for chicken keepers, Omlet has recently launched a new Autodoor which will solve all of these problems.

Even though our Eglus are specially designed to keep your chickens warm in winter with a unique twin-wall insulation system which works in a similar way to double glazing, leaving the door open overnight would let the cold enter inside which might result in having frozen eggs after a freezing winter night and could make your chickens feel unwell. Therefore, we strongly recommend you use the handle on top of the Eglu and simply lift and twist it to close the door in one convenient motion each evening after having make sure all your flock are inside.

As important as it is to close the door to protect your hens from the cold, it is also important to do it to protect them from potential overnight predator attacks. Most predators would wait for the night to attack your chickens therefore by simply closing the door it would protect your flock from being attacked by predators such as racoons, foxes and coyotes.

Having said how important it is to close your chicken coop overnight we understand that not everyone has the luxury of being at home every night to close the coop door especially for people working late shifts that are often home well after the sun sets. That is why we recently launched an automatic chicken coop door that can be attached directly to any wooden chicken coop, wire or the Omlet Eglu Cube Mk1 and Mk2.

Much like a personal chicken coop concierge, the Autodoor will always make sure your chicken’s coop is securely closed at night even when you’re running late. Whether you decide to use the light or time mode, the Omlet secure and safe Autodoor will either open and close at dawn and dusk or at specific times that you have programmed it to. In addition to being designed to be used in different modes the Autodoor has a unique safety sensor detecting any blockages to prevent your chickens from being injured when they decide to stop half way through the door.

Benefits of the Omlet Automatic Chicken Coop Door:

  • Easy to install, no maintenance required
  • Operated by light sensor or timer
  • Powered by battery
  • Works with all wooden chicken coops
  • Improves coop security and insulation
  • Compatible with the Eglu Cube
  • Reliable in all weather conditions
  • Built-in safety sensors
  • Can be used with any chicken run or mesh

To summarise, closing the coop door is definitely the recommended action for every chicken keeper in order to protect their chickens from the cold and predators however this task can easily be completed by an Autodoor.
Check out the review below to see what one of our Autodoor owners thinks of this new product:

Thank you Omlet for a wonderful product and great service. The door arrived quickly, very well packaged and my concerns over fitting it were unfounded as I was able to complete the task completely unaided. The door is easy to operate and means my girls are safely tucked up at dusk and I do not have to get up ridiculously early to open the coop and stop them hollering!” – Wendy

Read more reviews

Chickens outside in their Omlet Eglu Cube Chicken Coop and Run

1 comment - Leave a comment

This entry was posted in Chickens on November 11th, 2019 by linnearask


Veterans Day – save 10% today!

Save 10% on everything this Veterans Day with discount code VET19. Ends midnight on the 12th of November 2019.

Terms and conditions

This 10% off promotion is only valid from 11/11/19 until midnight on the 12th of November 2019. 10% off requires promo code VET19. This offer is available on all products. Not available on delivery costs. Subject to availability. Omlet Inc. reserves the right to withdraw the offer at any point. Offer cannot be used on existing discounts or in conjunction with any other offer.

No comments yet - Leave a comment

This entry was posted in Offers and Promotions on November 11th, 2019 by chloewelch


The accidental discovery of chickens as support animals

While filming a segment of our television program Coop Dreams, around Austin Texas, we were taken on a field trip to a nursing home that had a chicken coop.  Daily the residents would have ‘Chicken time’ where they could hold, pet and interact with the chickens.  What we witnessed was incredible.  The chickens were amazingly calm and the residents were transformed back in time to when they had raised or experienced a life with chickens.  It was super cool to see chickens and residents so comfortable that they both wound up napping while the chickens were on their laps in chairs…  And that sparked a curiosity.

The birth of Coops For Troops

Moved by what we experienced, we couldn’t stop talking about it and googling everything around chickens involving support and therapy.  We found some amazing information and stories about how chickens can help with:

  • Loneliness – We’ve all experienced and been amused by their crazy antics and personalities.
  • Stress Relief – Whether it’s the vocalizations or the scratching and pecking there is something very calming about sitting with chickens.
  • Depression – A study of the UK organization Henpower shows that – people become less lonely and depressed when caring for the hens.
  • Loss of self-worth – There is a sense of purpose one feels when caring for and feeding chickens.
  • PTSD – Animals have been shown to be great in relieving the symptoms and elements associated with PTSD.

And after those Google searches we decided to launch Coops For Troops (Coopsfortroops.com) where we present veterans and military families with chickens, supplies and an Omlet chicken coop to help them start their journey into backyard chicken keeping.

Sixteen and counting!!!

Currently we’ve presented 16 Coops For Troops packages and are excited to continue passing on the amazing healing power of chickens.

We’ve presented in nine states to date and are sifting through the next round of nominations.  Initially it was going to be a one and done event and a small segment in an episode of our Coop Dreams TV show but the response was so great it has spun into its own TV show.

Not only does this allow us to thank more veterans and deliver more coops but the weekly TV audience allows us to share this benefit to others who may be suffering and are in need of some help and relief.

Our viewers and partners help us to continue to pay it forward.

Coops For Troops episodes can be watched, for free, any day and anytime on our webpage by clicking the Video On Demand tab and clicking the Coops For Troops episodes.  They can also be seen on our Coop Dreams YouTube channel.

The Results

We all know how chicken math works and that doesn’t change if you’re a veteran, a beginner or an experienced chicken keeper and it is so great to see so many of our Coops For Troops recipients grow and add to their flocks and continue to communicate to us how the addition of chickens has helped in quieting some of the symptoms these incredible individuals now carry.

Sooooooo…  On this Veterans Day what can you do?  Spread the word and pay it forward.  If you know of someone in need maybe mention how the help may be found in these incredible, quirky and amazing animals.

1 comment - Leave a comment

This entry was posted in Chickens on November 11th, 2019 by linnearask