dr seuss style egg collecting contraption...

[mchandler]

i searched for a couple things like "egg collecting tube", "egg collector",etc and couldnt really find what im looking for as far as ideas...

I have a 7 x 10 coop for 12 chickens (4 red star, 2 white leghorns and 6 austrolorpes. They are all between 10-12 weeks old (recently got them). I am now building the nest box and want to build some sort of contraption where the eggs roll to the back of the nesting box (from here on NB), down a tube and collect in a bin near the door. or maybe just stay at the end of the tube that that ends near the door so i don't have to go in. I've seen how some people have drawers or have the NBs stick out the side but I'm more worried about water (from rain and whatnot). I don't mind spending a bit of money and I have access to hydrolics, motors, actuators, sensors and automation equipment.

Do you guys think I'm nuts? My dad said I was crazy, but I think i can turn this in to a fun project...just need some collective bright ideas from the community and I'll build something...not sure what yet. Looking maybe for more gravity fed ideas but I am open to really anything at this point, so throw something out there, I just might do it!

Thanks,
Matt

 

[guinea fowl galore]

You could do it I guess but if there was a pile up of eggs at the collecting spot and an egg came flying down the tube.... Well it just seems like it would equal a lot of smashed eggs to me

I like going into the coop and having a little egg hunt/searching in the nesting boxes. Its one of fun parts of doing the chicken chores, I love it.
But if you made this thing and pulled it off then that would be great. And I'm sure a lot of people here would love to use your invention

 

[spotstealer]

I just built the floor of my nesting boxes on an angle so the eggs roll down toward the outside access door. My girls haven't laid any eggs yet, but I tried it with an egg I had in the 'fridge and it worked.

 

[CarolynF]

There is something like that that I read about. I think it was called a European Nest Box. (Google it.) Taken to the extreme it's combined with a mechanism to close a door on the nest box when the chicken enters, when the egg drops it signals someone who can mark the egg with an ID of the hen, then the hen is released. They REALLY want to know which hen lays which egg! Anyway, you're not crazy and it might be fun. I think I'd put some type of springy material on the spot where the egg drops. I'm thinking of the stuff my door mat is made of. It's flexible plastic spikey things that have a little bit of curvature. They're kind of springy. Does that make sense? They don't get soggy from the rain either. Have fun, and good luck!

 

[Braxton]

Thanks...for ....sharing.........

 

[Smoosh]

i am very interested in seeing how this turns out

 

[EweSheep]

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang movie have that neat contraption going from nest? railing all the way down to the skillet. Neato!

 

[the4heathernsmom]

hmmmm sounds interesting!!!

 

[classicsredone]

If you can figure it out, I'd love to see it.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Quote:
Caratacus Potts Breakfast Machine!!

http://www.traileraddict.com/clip/chitty-chitty-bang-bang/breakfast-machine