Keeping chickens in your home is becoming more common, acceptable and an easy method of local food production. With that said, rearing chickens at home can be a lot more than just collecting the eggs. It does come with a set of responsibilities of ensuring they are well-fed, healthy; they have access to water, sunlight, ventilation and much more. But most of all, you need to be able to shut the chickens in and let them out of their coop daily, which does require a bit more time and effort.
Now, with a little bit of technical know-how and some outside the box (or house) thinking, you can now learn to automate your chicken coop door. Our friend and creator of the Wall-E Robot, Mike Senna demonstrates his version of the automated chicken coop.
Watch the video to know more.
Controlled using Google’s home automation software, Mike uses one of Progressive Automations waterproof actuators to control his chicken coop door. With the help of his new setup, he can now let his chickens roam free with the ease of a single voice command from the comfort of his own home. Not only that, but using Google’s free mobile app, he can open and close the door from anywhere in the world. The command to open the door is aptly named “Chicken.”
Mike manages to get a more bang for his buck by using some links to achieve mechanical advantage. In doing so, he gets the chicken coop to open almost a full 18”, with only a 6” stroke actuator. Using a simple BBQ grill, some wheels and guide rails, and one sturdy actuator, Mike has created a simple yet brilliant automated door for his chicken coop.
Mike and other DIY inventors are changing the way we view technology and how this technology can be used in our society. Perhaps with more innovations like Mike’s Chicken coop auto door opener, we will see a whole world filled with simple, yet brilliant, automated solutions.