Automatic Chicken Coop
July 14, 2026
We keep more than 60 laying hens and several turkeys with less than 20 minutes a week of physical coop work. This video walks through our automated chicken coop built from an 8x8 shed, including ventilation, hardware cloth, exterior egg collection, a solar-powered automatic chicken door, smart camera monitoring, bulk feeding, frost-proof water, poultry nipples, a heated winter water barrel, and a secure fenced run.
What we learned
This project is the kind of thing we started documenting because homesteading advice can get weirdly polished online. Real life has kids leaving gates open, water freezing at the worst possible moment, animals discovering the one weak spot in the fence, and adults realizing they should have measured twice before buying once.
The big takeaway from this video: build the system so normal people can keep using it when everyone is tired. If a chore only works when the most motivated adult remembers every step, it is not a system yet. It is a wish wearing boots.
Gear and supplies mentioned
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- Automatic solar chicken coop door
- 1/4-inch hardware cloth
- Ring Stick Up Cam Solar
- 50-gallon food grade barrel
- 4-inch 90-degree PVC elbows
- Horizontal poultry nipples
- Frost proof yard hydrant/spigot
- Chicken water heater/de-icer
- Automatic poultry bowl waterer
- 6-foot no-climb fencing
- Chicken nesting boxes
Field notes summary
- The coop started as a used 8x8 shed and became a low-maintenance poultry system for 60+ hens and turkeys.
- The biggest wins were automation and access: a solar coop door, smart camera, exterior egg collection, bulk feed, and water that can handle both daily use and winter weather.
- Good ventilation, predator protection, hardware cloth, and a secure run matter as much as the gadgets.
- The goal is not a flashy coop; it is a system the family can keep using even during busy weeks.
Blog tags
chickens, coop automation, poultry setup, family homesteading, farm systems
