Electronics is my winter hobby!
The system I would build today would use cheaper RFID reader cards (search eBay)
You perhaps need to find an electronics hobbyist in your area?
My real breakthrough is in proving the dirt cheap Chinese key fobs do not upset the chickens or break the eggs as...
23 May 2015
The tags are still attached and working well.
(These are the key fobs with 2 nylon industrial ties)
The birds show no sign of being bothered by them.
fgmarshallatsunspotfullstopcodotuk
An interesting idea - I did learn to connect a Linux box to a USA postal scale for a different idea - http://www.sunspot.co.uk/Projects/Raspi/raspi-scale.html
I do take a photo of each laying event to confirm which bird is which (I might have got the rings mixed up in the dark fitting...
Thanks Redcap - but the key fob tags are so very cheap from China on eBay - and the numbers are printed on them.
They have been on for 3 weeks now and seem to be peck proof and not noticed by the birds.
(Not sure where to put the coil for a wing tag)
UPDATE!
These cheap eBay key ring tags seem to be working very well.
Please see the updated display at the bottom of
http://www.sunspot.co.uk/Projects/RFID/Chickens_RFID.html
I have been experimenting with RFID tags on my chickens so that I can detect those that are the star performers.
And those who just eat my food - hmmm….
I have put up a web site to explain how this works at -
http://www.sunspot.co.uk - click on item 12
or go directly to...