Stupid question #37.. I wonder if anyone ever successfully automated penning chickens. I am curious if chickens are "regular" enough that one could automate the opening and closing of the coop door, open in the morning and closed in the evening without locking out too many stragglers. I wouldn't mind losing a few chickens that were "out of step" but if their habits were random, eventually all would be locked out at one time or another and subject to predation.
I can easily automate feeding metered quantities of feed so they will remain interested in free ranging for bugs etc. and can automatically flush and top off the water dispensers.
The unknown for me would be getting them into the coop prior to the automatic door closing. Maybe a little Pavlovian conditioning? Sound a signal and then dispense the evening ration inside their enclosure. Within a short period of time they would be conditioned to make a rush for the feed dispenser when they heard the signal. I guess this might work if the coop/roosting area opened to an outside pen that was fully enclosed and predator proof except for the automated door leading out into the WORLD.
Why automation? I would like to keep chickens, ducks, geese, whatever in a predator rich environment where I won't always be there to act as "jailor" (innkeeper) to pen the flocks every night. I have no difficulty designing and building automated feeders, door operators, and such but am not sure how reqular the fowl are in their habits. Even if only 20% were regular enough long term, I would be satisfied as the rest could be stew or coyote and hawk bait.
[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]