Collar controlled nest box door

[redinator]

Just some thoughts from a newbie:

So I've read a few threads where people have talked about multiple hens laying eggs in a single nest box. I get that in most cases it's not really a problem if you're just collecting eggs to eat.

I'm wondering if anyone has tried using collar controlled doors on nest boxes? I'm thinking it could be useful in situations where you're trying to only hatch chicks from a specific hen, or trying to figure out which hen is laying colored eggs. It could also be useful if you have an egg eater to reduce the number of eggs lost, if the egg eater simply doesn't have a collar.

 

[charlie1051]

Do they make them?

 

[Sefirothe]

They make collar controlled door flaps for pets like dogs and cats. Not sure how that would be adaptable to chickens tho.

 

[charlie1051]

That's cool I guess I should get with the times!

 

[townchicks]

It's an interesting thought, but I don't know how practical would be. Chicken anatomy does not lend itself well to a collar, but something could be attached to a harness I suppose. Then you would have to have one for all the laying hens, if you are trying to exclude an egg eater, I think most folks would just get rid of the egg eater.

 

[Smokerbill]

Why not just isolate the hen you want eggs from for a week or two? Would be much easier. Hens can lay fertile eggs for a couple weeks after the last time they were mounted by a rooster.

 

[redinator]

It's an interesting thought, but I don't know how practical would be. Chicken anatomy does not lend itself well to a collar, but something could be attached to a harness I suppose. Then you would have to have one for all the laying hens, if you are trying to exclude an egg eater, I think most folks would just get rid of the egg eater.

It might be useful to figure out who the egg eater is . . . I was looking at the controller for our dg door and I was like . . . huh . . . . what if . . ?

 

[NatJ]

They make collar controlled door flaps for pets like dogs and cats. Not sure how that would be adaptable to chickens tho.

I think some have a tag you attach to the collar. It might be possible to attach that to something a chicken could wear (collar? legband? backpack? apron?)

But then the nestbox would open when the chicken gets a certain amount close. That might let other chickens in when the one walks near the right nestbox. And it would almost certainly keep the door open while that chicken was in the nestbox. So I'm not sure how well it would work.

Just some thoughts from a newbie:

So I've read a few threads where people have talked about multiple hens laying eggs in a single nest box. I get that in most cases it's not really a problem if you're just collecting eggs to eat.

It is not a problem, and in fact it is a completely normal thing. Trying to have one nestbox per chicken would require a lot more space devoted to nestboxes, and would probably annoy the chickens too.

I'm wondering if anyone has tried using collar controlled doors on nest boxes? I'm thinking it could be useful in situations where you're trying to only hatch chicks from a specific hen, or trying to figure out which hen is laying colored eggs. It could also be useful if you have an egg eater to reduce the number of eggs lost, if the egg eater simply doesn't have a collar.

It's an interesting idea, but I don't think it is going to work very well.

For figuring out which hen lays which eggs, either isolate a hen in a cage until she lays an egg, then isolate the next hen in the cage... Or you can split the chickens up into groups (halves are a good start), and each time you get a colored egg you re-arrange the groups so you learn more when the next egg is laid. You can narrow it down pretty quickly: she's in this half of the flock, then half of that tells you which quarter, half of that is probably a very few hens to check individually.

It might be useful to figure out who the egg eater is . . . I was looking at the controller for our dg door and I was like . . . huh . . . . what if . . ?

Sometimes there is more than one egg eater. Setting up a camera to record what happens at the nests might be a faster way to figure out who it is, and after that you might just remove her from the flock (rehome or butcher) so she cannot teach the others to eat eggs too.

Why not just isolate the hen you want eggs from for a week or two? Would be much easier.

I agree, that is a much easier way to collect eggs from a particular hen.

 

[redinator]

But then the nestbox would open when the chicken gets a certain amount close. That might let other chickens in when the one walks near the right nestbox. And it would almost certainly keep the door open while that chicken was in the nestbox. So I'm not sure how well it would work.

I haven't used the dog door version, so I wasn't aware it would stay open if the hen was by door, good to know . . .even if I only decide to get one for my dogs.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm wondering if anyone has tried using collar controlled doors on nest boxes? I'm thinking it could be useful in situations where you're trying to only hatch chicks from a specific hen, or trying to figure out which hen is laying colored eggs.

What would that cost? Not just the collars but setting up the doors too? Probably a lot cheaper to set up a few cameras so you can see what is going on if you can tell your hens apart.

Logistically I don't see how it would work. A nest for every hen? How do you get a specific hen to use a specific nest? If the door opens when the specific collar is there why could another hen not just enter the nest with her? She'd be stuck if the first hen finished and left so the door could shut. Hens generally do not just jump into any empty nest they find, even if it only opens for them. I think, at best, you'd find a lot of eggs not laid in any nest.

People have used trap nests to find out which hen is laying which egg. Usually the door closes when the first hen enters and stays shut until somebody releases her. That means someone has to be around to let her out when she has finished. You could use collars to set up a trap nest system but that takes a huge time commitment from you. If you want to know which eggs a certain hen is laying I'd isolate that hen.