If the Door Open setting were set to Light Sensor, then during the summer, my hens would be let out in the early hours when the sun comes up, and I’m still in bed, and Mr Fox is still doing his rounds! They come with a 3-year warranty and have a timer that allows you to open and close the door at preset times. The door can also operate manually using the open/close buttons. There are options to set the light sensor level or add a delay to the closing time if the door is closing before your hens go to roost.

Brahmas have extremely feathery legs, making scratching difficult, so they’re another ideal choice for the garden. They come in both bantam and large foul sizes and, while they do need plenty of space, they don’t fly so are easy to keep in a run.Feather-legged bantam breeds, which have feathers either half of fully covering their feet, are a much better bet in this instance, as they cause much less damage with their feet when scratching. Because they’re smaller, they take up less space.

In other words, make sure you keep your feathery family well-fed, well-watered, safe, comfortable and happy- and you can’t go wrong! Mouldy food – just as you shouldn’t eat mouldy food, neither should your feathery friends. Many types of mould are extremely toxic! Pekins are another super friendly breed and come in an array of colours. Cuddly and friendly, they’re great for young families and smaller gardens. Brahmas

He fe I decided enough, I need an automatic door. It arrived promptly, is expensive for what it does but that’s the market! I found it hard to programme initially because the first command is “open settings” so I kept pressing into that menu expecting. It to be the overall settings but it wasn’t. It was literally just the settings to open the door- if you continue to press the arrow keys you get to close settings, setting the time etc. Three power options – 4 x AA Alkaline batteries (incl.), USB or 6v to 12v DC power (cables not included) All kinds except iceberg lettuce. Iceberg lettuce could end up giving your girls upset stomachs, but all other types are a healthy treat. An excellent feature is the battery level sensor. The red LED on the front of the unit is permanently lit when the battery level is low. This is very important because some other models don’t have this feature and they may fail unexpectedly, leaving the door open. Hemp bedding sits on the more expensive side and will cost more to furnish the coop initially. However, because hemp is durable and sturdy, you won’t need to change it as often as wood shavings.

Probably the most popular poultry bedding option, wood shavings are widely available and a popular choice, available online, at local pet shops or can be made yourself if you have a wood chipper.

How Does It Work?

If you get good-quality hemp bedding, it will come with a long shelf life that will give you your full return on your money so long as you use the product sensibly.