How I Use Smart Technology to Raise Chickens on My Backyard
Although I had long toyed with the idea of raising a flock of chickens in my backyard, I knew it wouldn’t be easy. Caring for living things takes a lot of work, and I need more on my to-do list like a chicken needs a xylophone (more on that later). But it didn’t scare me. From robot vacuums in the living room to programmable hoses in the garden , I use a lot of smart technology to make my life easier. I thought that someone had to crack the code of automating at least part of the care and feeding of suburban birds, and if he hadn’t, I could.
It turns out that my thesis was both correct and incorrect. Yes, there are plenty of smart technologies that can be used to make herding chickens less of a burden. But you’re still dealing with living, breathing, clucking creatures, and they will always be both more expensive and more time-consuming than you think. On the other hand, they can also be quite a flock of adorable creatures to raise, and by using smart technology to do some of the heavy lifting, you can spend more time giving out chicken hugs and wondering how you became the person who always wears take a tin can with you. dried worms.
Here’s how I used smart technology to hack my flock of four backyard chickens (Cacciatore, Marsala, Kyiv and Korma).
Start with a smarter coop
I’m a handy worker and I have a Pinterest account, so I had every opportunity to build my dream chicken coop in a weekend, but it takes real work and the goal was to avoid that nonsense. Instead, I was only too happy to try out Smart Coop .
Made from metal and molded plastic, this Wi-Fi enabled chicken coop can be purchased with or without a run . It includes a door that can be programmed via an app to open and close at specific times (or sunrise and sunset), with a number of preset options (closing 20 minutes after sunset; closing halfway, then pausing as a final opportunity to the straggler runs inside; use latitude and longitude to determine sunrise/sunset, etc.), giving it much more functionality than a standard automatic chicken coop door.
Once you choose the settings that work for you, your chickens will quickly learn to engage on their own when the time comes. I only had to rescue poor Marsala a few times (because she is that chicken), and even that process is easier because the app sends me an alert letting me know that one of the girls didn’t make it into the coop before the door closed. .
In addition, Smart Coop is equipped with two Wi-Fi enabled cameras that monitor the run and the coop. They use a proprietary monitoring algorithm called EggsteinAI to determine where your chickens are, if there are predators nearby and what kind, if there are eggs to grab, and when the door opens and closes. Notifications are sent to your app or as text messages so you can respond accordingly (for example, if you receive a predator alert, you can send an SOS that sets off the alarm, turns on the lights, and closes the coop door).
In the app, you can view snapshots of your chickens’ movements to ensure they’ve entered the coop at night, roosted, or are playing with their toys. Or you can watch them being little weirdos (my Instagram stories have changed forever).
Of course, you can just install smart cameras in any old chicken coop, and chicken coop doors that open and close automatically are nothing new. But AI alerts have helped me worry less about what’s going on in the coop because it’s easier for me to keep an eye on it from afar. Unlike my chickens, I have a job ; I can’t spend all day outside with them. Plus, no matter what kind of relationship you have with your flock, your presence will always scare them a little because, well, they’re chickens. Mine consider me their only true leader, and as soon as they see me, they stop being charming and turn into horny idiots. Using a camera to check that they are sleeping, eating or enjoying the atmosphere creates less inconvenience for everyone. Now I can watch my dog interact with the coop and see which local wildlife are interested in him without causing the bystander effect. (Having an easy way to share videos of my chickens’ exploits with the world is just a bonus.)
Smart Coop also sells accessories to make coop maintenance easier, from coop upholstery , so cleaning a coop is about the same as cleaning the litter box, solar camera panels , and coop protective covers . The coop and run are built like a tank, there’s no getting around it. The coop itself is very secure so the chickens are safe at night, unlike any wooden coop I would build. The double-walled plastic is completely sealed except for air vents, and all doors have locks. Coop has app support and a community tab to help you connect with other chicken and duck owners. To be honest, I was very impressed.
Install sensors that are smarter than chickens (which is not difficult)
As useful and full-featured as it is, Smart Coop doesn’t track temperatures in the coop or on the treadmill, and within a week or two of taking my sweet, dumb chickens outside, my town was faced with a heat dome and temperatures soaring higher 100 degrees. degrees. Although chickens don’t typically require temperature control, they are sensitive to heat, so I wanted to find ways to cool them down.
Temperature monitoring
I installed Aqara temperature and humidity sensors – one in their coop (which is basically a big plastic box so it gets hot at night when they’re all sealed in there) and one on the run. I now receive real-time alerts when temperatures exceed a certain threshold so I can take action. I can also use sensors to trigger automation: I installed a Dreo smart fan in the coop that turns on when the temperature rises above 80 degrees. (Chickens love the breeze, it turns out.) This automation was easy to set up since both the sensor and fan integrate with most smart hubs.
Receive water alerts
Part of my education in poultry farming was discovering the astounding amount of water that four chickens could eat in a day. I didn’t want to check or add water every day, so I installed a water sensor. While a water leak sensor typically tells you when there is unwanted water, the YoLink float water level sensor tells you when the water drops below an acceptable level. I then connected the emitter from my existing smart drip irrigation system to the chicken watering station, so that when the sensor says it needs water, the smart irrigation turns on, filling the waterer for me. It brings great satisfaction every time.
Follow their feed
I have yet to find a dedicated wireless light sensor to control coop lighting, but most motion sensors have them. I plugged the Eva motion sensor into the bottom of the chicken feed dispenser. While eating they eventually open the sensor exposing it to light and I get an alert and know it’s time to add food. (My food deliveries are automated through Chewy and occur every few weeks.)
Use smart technology to train your chickens
Let me preface this by noting that I probably care more about my chickens’ extracurricular activities than most people: I installed a swing, a bridge, a mirror, and the aforementioned xylophone in their pen, even though I thought they mostly just wanted to stand in front of a fan. posing as Scourge Ken. However, I want chicks to crave my approval. The solution is to hand out treats when they do what I want them to do.
To do this, I turned to the Switchbot bot . It’s a tiny articulated pin that you can use to turn a switch or press a button. I use it to activate the treat dispenser when my chickens peck at the corresponding Switchbot button. Fun ensues. (I’m also considering installing a dog treat dispenser , which my dog couldn’t figure out; I think chickens might, although I’m not sure what that says about my dog.)
I hope all this doesn’t mean I’m using smart technology to ignore my chickens. Far from it: removing some of the more mundane tasks has given me more time to enjoy the little buggers. I still check on them daily, usually in the early evening, to offer them attention and cuddles before bed (listen, Cacciatore is a very sensitive chicken). I also use this time to double check all my systems and make sure everything is online and working.
There are many things about raising chickens that cannot be automated, such as cleaning treat trays, replacing shavings, and filling sand and dirt baths. Automating what I can has helped me enjoy managing my small herd.