Chicken mechanism interest spreads

Billy Gibbons' appearance, initially on Audlem Online, and then BBC Radio Stoke last week has resulted in even more media coverage with this splendid photo and story from the Shropshire Star.

It can only be a matter of time before an enterprising manufacturer takes an interest – as long as a sufficient supply of 1959 Hornby model railway transformers and Vauxhall Cresta window wiper motors (also of genuine 1950's origin) can be sourced.

Here's what the Shropshire Star has to say:

"When a fox snuck in and devoured Kiev the lucky lottery chicken, her owner hatched plans for an "eggstraordinary" device designed to keep his money-spinning birds safe.

"Now Billy Gibbons, of Audlem, near Market Drayton, has unveiled his invention dubbed the automatic electronic pre-timed evening chicken coop door shutting mechanism device to keep the birds safe.

"It automatically shuts the chicken coop door behind the birds when they head indoors each evening.

"Mr Gibbons said he was inspired to create the device when a fox killed one of his birds – Kiev – which chose five winning lottery numbers for him in 2003, winning him a £1,200 nest egg.

"Kiev entered National Lottery folklore when she knocked a calculator off Mr Gibbons' desk and pecked off the rubber numbers to get at some bird seed."

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