I love my chickens, but I also love to travel. I have already set up automated feed and watering systems and thanks to a friend who came to visit, I now have an automated chicken door that opens at dawn and closes at dusk. This amazing invention is from Wells Poultry in the UK, and came to me airmail. I couldn’t quite believe it would work, but it does. I set it up at the back of the covered area where the chickens are closed in at night as opposed to on their house itself. It’s very shady by the house, and I was afraid “dusk” there would be too early. We had to make a little ramp going down from the door, as the chicken yard is steep, and they were a little reluctant at first. Several hens went out, then the rooster.
The rooster and about four of the hens went down to the area where I feed them. But three of the hens weren’t eager to try the new door. The rooster came back up and encouraged them, and soon all were out. Continue reading “Automation in the chicken coop”