【3D Printing Applications】3D Printing on the Farm: Accessories for Chickens, Bees, Cows, Horses, and More!
Have you ever thought about how 3D printing can be applied on a farm? 3Dprinting can improve breeding quality and make agricultural business easier!
Some people in this field have already printed some useful and impressive things. We have carefully selected the most interesting and useful ideas from them. Whether you are involved in animal husbandry or not, come and see the versatile applications of 3Dprinting!
Some people in this field have already printed some useful and impressive things. We have carefully selected the most interesting and useful ideas from them. Whether you are involved in animal husbandry or not, come and see the versatile applications of 3Dprinting!
Let's start by upgrading your chicken coop!
After all, you don't need to be a farmer to have a small chicken coop with a few hens, so many people might find this helpful.
When you have your own chicken coop, the biggest difficulty in raising chickens is having to get up early to let your feathered friends out. Over time, getting up every morning can become annoying. Fortunately, there's a simple solution to this particular problem—an automatic chicken coop door. However, let's assume you don't want to mess with Arduino or buy expensive electronics, and simply want to print some mechanical parts. We have a solution! A semi-automatic pedal-controlled chicken coop door! We call it Kürnikotvör*.
The principle is simple. There is a pedal with a latch that keeps the door closed. Once the first hen wakes up in the morning and decides to go out, she steps on the pedal and opens the door through a counterweight mechanism. The chicken keeper only needs to close the door at night, which reduces 50% of the workload for any chicken keeper. And this project doesn't require many materials, just a few screws, plexiglass, and some 3D printed parts.
*In Czech, Kurník = chicken coop, Otvor = opening. This is meant to be a joke... because they named this thing in a simple way, but it sounds funny. Never mind…
After all, you don't need to be a farmer to have a small chicken coop with a few hens, so many people might find this helpful.
When you have your own chicken coop, the biggest difficulty in raising chickens is having to get up early to let your feathered friends out. Over time, getting up every morning can become annoying. Fortunately, there's a simple solution to this particular problem—an automatic chicken coop door. However, let's assume you don't want to mess with Arduino or buy expensive electronics, and simply want to print some mechanical parts. We have a solution! A semi-automatic pedal-controlled chicken coop door! We call it Kürnikotvör*.
The principle is simple. There is a pedal with a latch that keeps the door closed. Once the first hen wakes up in the morning and decides to go out, she steps on the pedal and opens the door through a counterweight mechanism. The chicken keeper only needs to close the door at night, which reduces 50% of the workload for any chicken keeper. And this project doesn't require many materials, just a few screws, plexiglass, and some 3D printed parts.
*In Czech, Kurník = chicken coop, Otvor = opening. This is meant to be a joke... because they named this thing in a simple way, but it sounds funny. Never mind…
Is that all you can print for chickens? Not at all! There are many poultry prints available online for you to use, but most aren't as sexy as Kurnikotvör (still not funny?).
One more thing: don't forget that your funny, harmless chicken friends are related to the pterosaurs that once roamed the Earth's surface. You don't believe us? Try printing these claws for them - but we are not responsible for any damage caused by chicken claws. With these, they will rule the Earth and spread fear and doom! (Haha!)
One more thing: don't forget that your funny, harmless chicken friends are related to the pterosaurs that once roamed the Earth's surface. You don't believe us? Try printing these claws for them - but we are not responsible for any damage caused by chicken claws. With these, they will rule the Earth and spread fear and doom! (Haha!)
Models from Khelian and kaje on Printables
Beekeeping
If you're scared of chickens with claws, cute little bees might calm you down. Well, unless you're thinking of the Asian giant hornet right now, that thing is terrifying! But don't worry, they won't harm you unless you provoke them. Or will they? [Evil laugh in the background] Anyway, there are some cool and useful 3D printed tools that can make a beekeeper's life easier.
Most models available online are various simple bee feeders. They are easy to print and very useful. Some of them can be inserted inside the hive, some are external, some can be attached to bottles, and some can be attached to jars. There's not much to it, just print it and use it!
If you're scared of chickens with claws, cute little bees might calm you down. Well, unless you're thinking of the Asian giant hornet right now, that thing is terrifying! But don't worry, they won't harm you unless you provoke them. Or will they? [Evil laugh in the background] Anyway, there are some cool and useful 3D printed tools that can make a beekeeper's life easier.
Most models available online are various simple bee feeders. They are easy to print and very useful. Some of them can be inserted inside the hive, some are external, some can be attached to bottles, and some can be attached to jars. There's not much to it, just print it and use it!
Bee feeders designed by NicG and DavidP on Printables
But sometimes you might find something more specific in purpose - for example, queen bee cages, Asian giant hornet traps, various hive entrances, etc.
Models by cimbi, Jeff K, MAPBuH, and Stipao on Printables
Pursa's hive entrance. You can find more information about the PrusaHive project on the PrusaLab makerspace website.
Livestock Upgrade
Here's a useless fact: an average of 22 people die from cows in the US each year, so don't mock them, or they'll be waiting for you behind a dumpster in a dark alley. This means cows are much more dangerous than sharks, which cause an average of 10 deaths globally per year.
If something happens to you and the herd is to blame, 3D printing might help you. Smart GPS trackers come in all sorts of parts, some of which are 3D printed! Of course, electronics may not be as cheap and simple as fences, but you can immediately tell if a horse, cow, or sheep has wandered too far. In addition, you can also print various colored distinguishers, so that when they mix together, you can easily distinguish them!
If your animals keep escaping or you simply can't let them roam freely, you might end up starting to build fences. This is also where a 3D printer can help you! You can print various wire holders, hooks, etc. We recommend using UV-resistant materials, such as Prusament ASA, for best performance.
Here's a useless fact: an average of 22 people die from cows in the US each year, so don't mock them, or they'll be waiting for you behind a dumpster in a dark alley. This means cows are much more dangerous than sharks, which cause an average of 10 deaths globally per year.
If something happens to you and the herd is to blame, 3D printing might help you. Smart GPS trackers come in all sorts of parts, some of which are 3D printed! Of course, electronics may not be as cheap and simple as fences, but you can immediately tell if a horse, cow, or sheep has wandered too far. In addition, you can also print various colored distinguishers, so that when they mix together, you can easily distinguish them!
If your animals keep escaping or you simply can't let them roam freely, you might end up starting to build fences. This is also where a 3D printer can help you! You can print various wire holders, hooks, etc. We recommend using UV-resistant materials, such as Prusament ASA, for best performance.
Insulators by Kiwi Tinkerer on Printables
But you can also make animals feel more comfortable in your place so they don't run away. We recommend providing them with a nice whirlpool bath, sauna, or massage, or at least printing a nice scratcher for them. Maybe cows are grumpy because they can't scratch, who knows?
You might disagree about whether it's suitable for 3D printing, as various scratchers can be bought online, but they are usually not customized. For example, you have a small piglet, goat, or baby alligator, and you want to buy a small, hard scratcher for them. You don't want to buy a large cow scratcher or use a broom scratcher. So why not print one? It's recommended to print with flexible 3D printing filaments - these filaments are usually very durable and tough, can withstand impact, and have shock absorption, which can resist the great force of animals.
You might disagree about whether it's suitable for 3D printing, as various scratchers can be bought online, but they are usually not customized. For example, you have a small piglet, goat, or baby alligator, and you want to buy a small, hard scratcher for them. You don't want to buy a large cow scratcher or use a broom scratcher. So why not print one? It's recommended to print with flexible 3D printing filaments - these filaments are usually very durable and tough, can withstand impact, and have shock absorption, which can resist the great force of animals.
Modular scratcher for FuzNuz equine equipment
Then, there are more models commonly used for horses, but these models can also be used for other animals. FuzNuz equine equipment user uploaded some of his cool models to Printables so you can browse his collection. Some of these things do look very useful and can relieve animal stress—like this Bot Fly scraper.
Some practical models from FuzNuz
Nicholas Radzykewycz (FuzNuz) gained attention for making veterinary prosthetics for horses using a 3D printer. Many skilled makers around the world are improving animals' lives through 3D printing. For example, there are Horses First from Finland, r3volutiond from Germany, and Driftdog from Italy. You can check them out for inspiration on veterinary 3D printing. If you want to delve deeper into this topic, you can also join the VVCA group, which discusses virtual care and remote veterinary medicine under the supervision of skilled veterinarians. Additionally, we recommend visiting embodi3d for more information. But for now, let's return to general assistance for farm animals.
Mouse Traps
Every farm needs to deal with rodents in some way.
Typically, pests are poisoned or killed with various traps. Killer traps are usually very cheap and simple, and 3D printing cannot compete in this regard. But in certain specific situations, you might need to catch mice alive, or you might empathize with these animals and do everything possible to relocate them to nature. For this, there are various live traps that can be easily 3D printed. But you should know that mice caught in live traps can become very stressed, and may die quickly, or escape from plastic traps and seek revenge.
If you want to keep rodents alive, you need to check the traps frequently.
Every farm needs to deal with rodents in some way.
Typically, pests are poisoned or killed with various traps. Killer traps are usually very cheap and simple, and 3D printing cannot compete in this regard. But in certain specific situations, you might need to catch mice alive, or you might empathize with these animals and do everything possible to relocate them to nature. For this, there are various live traps that can be easily 3D printed. But you should know that mice caught in live traps can become very stressed, and may die quickly, or escape from plastic traps and seek revenge.
If you want to keep rodents alive, you need to check the traps frequently.
Mouse trap designed by Matthew Ray on Printables
Is that all? Not at all. There's a wealth of models available to make your (and animals') lives easier, but this is simply beyond the scope of this article. However, we have one last suggestion for you, and this time we are serious: help the surrounding environment.
Animals and plants living around your home/farm can help you and your animals live healthier lives. For example, building birdhouses and bat houses to support birds and bats helps reduce the number of insects. Did you know, for example, that in the US alone, bats save about $23 billion annually in pesticide costs by eating insects. In addition, you can also support local raptors by printing habitats and placing them around cultivated fields. If placed correctly, this will allow birds to have a clear view of the fields and provide a good resting place. You will find that the number of rodents destroying your crops will quickly start to decline.
So to recap, through 3D printing, you can do a lot for your own and your animals' welfare, don't you think? We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. We can't wait to see more 3D printed high-tech farms!
Happy printing!
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This detailed introduction demonstrates the infinite possibilities of 3D printing applications! Want to learn more or are interested in trying 3D printing? If you need more details, please contact us!
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