Tuesday July 26, 2022 Guerneville CA.
Making the chicken gate opener
I rounded up these parts to construct a chicken gate opener. I found a 110 volt transformer that had a pull plunger on it in my stuff. I’m not sure why I had it, maybe to make something like this awhile back that never got used. That was the main part I needed to pull the gate plunger to let the gate open. I also had a timer to set the time to open the ate and found some wire with a plug on it.
Bracket Construction
I cut metal and welded this bracket up and put some black paint on it and let it dry.
Plunger part
And I cut and bolted this little pipe to the plunger coil and soldered the plug wires onto the coil and put some silicone on the connections. That part is ready to mount to the bracket.
Putting it together
I’m putting the plunger latch onto the bracket here and now the part is ready to add to the chicken’s gate.
Mounting the unit
The new bracket gets mounted onto the gate and looks like this. I used a clamp to hold it onto the fence. I’ll have to make some kind of cover eventually.
Testing
Here’s the gate with the new gate opener mounted with the gate closed and ready to go. The paint can is weighted and on pulleys so when the plunger is pulled the weighted can opens the gate so the chickens can get out when the timer goes off.
It works well
I tested it out with the timer and it worked well and opened up the gate.. Note the weighted paint can is now near the ground as it did its job and opened the gate up when the plunger was pulled.
After that, I cleaned up my mess and put the tools away.
Grapes getting ripe soon
Later, I was walking around the yard doing some chair hopping and noticed these grapes are just starting to ripen up. The chicken’s have been eating the green ones close to the ground.
Fresh prunes
I’ve also been eating these fresh prunes that are just starting to ripen up. Most people never get to eat fresh prunes as they don’t ship well, so you only can get them dried. Some wild sweet peas are blooming there too. The prunes are quite tasty fresh like this.
Fresh salmon
My brother Tom came by in the evening and gave me some fresh salmon. He’s been out in the ocean fishing quite a bit lately and has been doing some catching. Yummy.
Nice day.
Cleverly engineered, your chickens will be much safer. Those prune plums are making my mouth water.
You’re eating good.
Yes, and that’s not easy as most all our foods and drinks have some type of corn stuff in them, and they are off limits to me. Helps keep me healthier.
No raccoons there? I think they are the culprits eating my grapes, because they seem to disappear in the night. And they’re hanging down under a pergola, but well within reach of a raccoon sitting on top. Oh well, I shouldn’t be trying to grow them anyway. Not enough water here. Can’t believe you have so much fruit and so few depredations….Wonderful.
I’ve seen the chickens reaching up and eating them, however, you are right about the coons. Well, actually just about everything eats those grapes. :O)
You remind me of my husband. He once made a float that would rise with the water in the laundry tub to flip a switch to turn on the pump. It was at mom’s vacation house and it never failed when we were cleaning up to leave I would flood the basement floor. He loved fresh prune plums, too. Thanks for the memories, Bob.
Ingenuity!!! You definitely got it! Never would I ever think up something like that.