I don't think a timer would work in our case. We have had some who have to be scooted into the henhouse after dark. Guess having a bright yardlight on that side of the house makes them think it's still daylight.
GG
Free ranging and automatic coop door
Really? I guess you are right then. Ours are never out after dark. our rooster patrols and gets all the girls in long before the light is completely gone. We dont have a yard light, so I guess that could be it.
When is the best time to start turning them out? I have only had my chickens for a few weeks and they have been locked up in the chicken yard for this whole time. It is a nice big chicken yard, but I would like for them to run around a little bit since I have alot of space.. I am afraid if I let them out they will not come back... Is there a way to know they will come back? My two older ones will make it up the hill to the stables and hang with the horses, I know that because when one escaped shortly after I brought them home I found her up there with them. The 4 younger ones were raised in a small cage and I am not sure what they will do, they have never seen a horse before.
I would give them about six weeks to get used to staying around the yard. Mine only go out for about an 1-1/2 hrs in the evening and they go around our yard, into the woods for a little bit and then return and go into the chicken coop and then into the henhouse.
GG
We let the guineas out of their henhouse for the first time today. They have been in there for about 3wks now, but it simply got too hot and muggy and I didn't want them to suffocate.
I don't do it this way but the Amish around here recommend letting them out around 4ish. They've done laying and can score some really juicy bugs before going back in for the night. This sounds like about the same pattern GG is recommending.
Yes, that is about it. We let them out a couple hours before sunset and they stay out for a while then go back into the henhouse for the night. Since we just let the guineas out for the first time today, they will not be let out for a few days until the guineas know where they can go in the coop.
My fence is six feet high plus a foot of floppy chicken wire on the top to keep any flying hens (yep, we had them) in the coop. The guineas will probably not be able to go over that height from the ground. At least I hope so until they know where "home" is.
GG
GG - Do you also do (what someone somewhere mentioned about) the introducing new birds at night thing? Just curious...
No, I have two sections to my henhouse, plus we have two sections to the coop. This is the first year we have had to use all three different places to keep the chicks. When we first put the hatchlings and bought red sex-links (we had put them together in a pen in the garage) out, we put them in the upper coop which has a metal shed for shelter. Then when we put the keets and their rooster companions out, we put chicken wire over the opening between the henhouse and its expansion and hardware cloth over the chicken door to the expansion. At this time we let the hatchlings mingle with the adults (after about two weeks of being alongside each other) and kept the keets locked up in the expansion. Today we opened the big door on the expansion and let all of them mingle.
We might have to weed out the hatchling roosters if they take to fighting or attacking the keets. But we will give it about a week to sort out things out if they can. If not, the hatchling roosters will go into the upper coop until time for freezer camp.
GG
I introduce new hens at night if they are going straight in. Although..now that we raise our own from eggs...we do have a divider until they are big enough to fend for themselves. Ever since we have had chickens, I let them out every morning as soon as I get up, and then lock them when the sun goes down. They nearly always return to the coop to lay their eggs, and if ever I find them anywhere else..I lock all the hens in for a day or two, and then they remember. I have never lost a hen while out free ranging...only from the badger that burrowed in at night over a year ago.
Well, one of our keets decided the world looked better outside the coop. When DH went out to put them up, it flew over the fence out into the woods. Hopefully it will be back in the morning. I certainly hope so. But if not, so be it.
GG
Yes, he did look for it, but I guess it went further out instead of coming back around the side of the coop.
GG - hope your baby returns!!
We had ours totally free range, night and day, and never lost one until the day that stinkin' fox came. 5 beautiful chicks who had just graduated to the big birds coop lost in 5 minutes while I was at the neighbors!
Grow, at what age did you let them free range. With out any older keets? Would my older chickens about a month old help.
Grow, yes, it was out there when DH went out this morning. It just roosted in the woods last night. It's safe and sound (I hope) now with its buddies. We are keeping alll the poultry in the coop (yard) for the next few days so they get used to it and then we plan on letting them free range in the evenings like we have been doing.
I am thinking we are going to have to separate the young roosters in a very short time. They are 4mths old now and starting to show their machismo. I want to maybe keep two for breeding, but don't know which ones to keep. We are going to have to wait until the smallest ones get old enough to see what they are. They are the ones we got when we got the keets from Ideal in May, making them only 2-1/2 months old now. We don't know if they are BOs, or not. If they are, we might keep two of them instead two of the Aussies.
GG
At about 10-12 wks and they had sibs a month older they were palling around with, all staying close to the main shed where everyone (except the cow) lives. they had been doing really well, just wanting to stay out a little later than was good for them. Teenagers!
The chicks enclosure (sorry, coop!) is right beside the main shed where our chickens lay and roost. I never let them out until they can fly up a good 3' or so and can cuss the cats. We introduce every bird on the property to our dogs and cats as "babies" which means they are supposed to take care and not eat. they differentiate beautifully and one BC mix (We have 2), Sugar has gotten really good about watching them and chasing off the fox while the other, Baxter, herds them away from the road, porch, cat food, or any other forbidden locales.
OK, I have to ask now...what are and aren't keets? I've learned mostly by trial and error and gleanings. On Google I found an Orca and parakeets- then bagged it, swallowed my pride and asked here.:0
Keets not to sure what your ? is but they are young Guinea someone told me under 6 months old. Yea I tell my dogs these are babies but they are just not figuring it out, They are not eating them they just want to play. Gus my 9 month old dog, was found playing with one this morning, he got a swift kick in the behind. HE knows better. My poodle got the dead chick up side his head a few nights ago and now he WILL NOT even look at them let alone come into the yard.
Ouch! We only have herding dogs here. Have been very careful about being specific with any task we give them. For a while they wanted to rescue the hens from the roosters and that took a bit of explaining;) Otherwise so far so good.
LOL i can imagine that. I might get another blue healer, we had one that someone we know stole him, his name was smirnoff. The best dog ever. We couldnt even spank a kid with that dog around. He was the best. Healers dont dig. GP's do.
I have an Australian Cattle dog (blue healer), he is the best breed of dog I have ever owned! Smart as heck.
Oh gosh yes, I will get another one
Patch,
How is your dog around the poultry or do you keep them seperate? My 6 yr old is pestering me for a puppy.
Kelly in Moxee
My Blue Heeler is still a pup, under 8 months old.. She spied the chicken the other day when I took her with me to the coop.... Oh she wanted to get out there and play with them, but I would not let her in.. Just not yet. Billy the boy is getting where he loves to go in there with them, and there is one hen that is 3 months old that lets him pick her up and pet her.
I got a new camera today and plan on taking pictures of my chickens and Billy tonight.. Will post them tomorrow...
To be honest, his desire to herd is STRONG. However, my cattle dog knows no means no. Once I establish they are not to be chased, that's the end of it. He might chase the neighbor's cats if they appear over here, but would not chase ours. He leaves all of "ours" alone with one exception; the sheep. For some reason (herder), he cannot leave the poor sheep alone. The minute they start running around he wants to herd. I could modify this behavior and teach him to use it but I just don't have the time. They truly are spectacular dogs IMHO if you have the space, time, and understanding. They are not for the weak minded or couch potato.
My poor border collie cannot control the urge to herd--but with him it is limited to the other dogs who strangely put up with it. I would really like to get at least some Indian Runners for him--but can't right now.
Now if we could only train the herding dogs to wait until just before dark to herd the chickens in, close the door behind them, spend the night guarding them, open the door the next morning--leave them alone all day and put them to bed again at night. That would eliminate the need for an automatic door closer all together.
Maybe we could break it down into small steps?
Now THAT would be spectacular!
http://www.chicken-house.co.uk/door_opener.htm
http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=3120
I have been considering on of those openers that Lindono mentioned for a couple of years. Probably would have saved some chickens if I had bought one and figured out how to put it together.
I have one of those doggie doors with a transmitter that we had bought so our dogs could come in and go out but our cat and wild critters could not. Ours had a transmitter that fits on the collar. It would make a noise unlatching as the dogs approached and would scare the dogs away. Probably could have trained them not to get spooked but decided to take off the transmitters. Even if they sould have used it, they would have to push it open after it unlatched which would be hard for a chicken. A clever person could possibly alter that device or get an idea from it as Catscan mentioned.
Thanks for the links. My idea will work much differently then these. The door I have designed will lock in place when it is open or closed, to keep things from pushing the door up or open. The european door seems like it would be pretty costly when you buy everything, and I am not sure I would like the string that pulls it open. Seems like too many things could happen to that little motor or string. Hmmm...definately interesting links though!
Ok...so we have our prototype finished! YEAH! We have been using it for the last week, and it works fabulously. We actually left for the weekend, and our hens were able to free range from dawn to dusk without us here. They were all in the coop by 7:15 or so, and the door closed at 8 using a photocell. (it also opens first thing in the morning the same way)
My DH is working on finding companies to mass produce the circuuit boards, and do to the sheet metal work. I told him he needs to also make sure we offer an option of solar for power since not everyone has electricity running to their coop. He said that would drive the cost up conciderably, so I thought I would ask you guys and see what you recommend.
How many of you have power in your coops already? And how much do you think you would be willing to pay for a solid, safe, fully assembled door? I will try to get a video of the door operating on a website sometime this week.
Can you let us know about how much it cost to put it together and how long it would take to make another one knowing how to do it now? I am very very interested in it.
The mechanicals cost about $70, the sheet metal fabrication (he had a friend do it) cost $80, the sliders, photocell, and other odd parts were about $25. So all together I am guessing it was somewhere around $175. Plus we built the circuits and put it all together ourselves. It is cool because it is a complete door (versus the one sold in the UK). All you would have to do is install this inside the coop, and plug it in. It is made of all stainless steel. The one from the UK looks like it could cost up to $300 or more, but it works on a string. (this is the estimate I got from their site: €209.15, US$297.74 Approx.) this is the cost for the motor, door, and timer...again...you would have to set a timer. Ours works with a photocell, so it would not require any adjusting with the seasons. I am thinking that we may sell them for around $200 total cost, and that includes us assembling them. We dont plan to make much on these... but gain the satisfaction of actually building and selling something cool that works!
Ours is also self-locking. I tried getting in after the door had closed, and I couldnt get it to budge. I am excited about this because we free range our chickens every day, and all year round. This way we can still go on vacations...and stay out late on weekends without having to plan ahead and keep them locked up all day, or have to call a neighbor to ask them to come up and close in the chickens. I LOVE this door!
Get it patented or registered or whatever!
We are working on that now as well. We have it pending. But WOW it is so expencive!
well, hopefully the mass assembly will bring the price down a little. i am sure some folks could pay more. but my setup has multiple doors, so 150 is comfy for me...
BIG CONGRATS!!!
wow that is awesome, now about how much does it weigh? Still very interested.
also would it be big enough for a large turkey to use also.
We could make these in different sizes. The open door is 10x10 or 12x12 (cant remember which, but could find out). The entire assembly weighs 2-3lbs. The steel is pretty heavy dudy, but we could opt for a lighter weight if we mass produce. Heading out, but will have more info later. Still waiting to hear back from our patent attorney.
For power, any way it can work off a battery for those who don;t have power near their coops? Or have a battery backup in case of power outages?
Suze
I have a solar powered battery charger, I wonder....................
Well that is exactly what we are looking into. Power outages wont affect this door as it opens and then locks in place. No power runs to it except for when the photocell tells it to. So the only power outage that woudl affect the door would be if it occurred just before dusk, and lasted well into the night. Otherwise it will stay open without power during the day, and stay shut if power is lost at night.
For those without power we are looking into a solar panel and battery. That is, of coarse, something that will cost extra. We havent found a distributor yet...so we still need to figure that one out.
my brother works for wayne dalton they make garage doors they also make a home control you can run things from your pc and even from the internet .or create timed events set up days of week or sunrise sunset and so on that was the first thing i thought of when i started reading automatic door
http://www.wayne-dalton.com/newsitem103.asp
ralph
This message was edited Sep 16, 2008 10:12 PM