Chicken coop - solar light?

[redsox1]

I am planning to build a coop this spring but it will be a fair distance away from the house and electricity, I understand the need for a light in the coop re heat/light but at least to start with I don't want to go to the trouble of either trenching an electric line out there or using a long extension cord. Will a small solar panel to run a single bulb in the coop meet the basic needs?

 

[sailfast]

No.....

 

[forgeblast]

My chickens are in an unheated coop. The only thing power is nice for is for a heated water bowl.

 

[Craig Clayton]

If you are out of range for 110 V house power there is a limited source of low powered solar yard lights. These are patio/walk way styles that need to sit outside to charge. I have a bunch on my driveway.

Craig Clayton

 

[Boeing]

I've done alot of solar research this past year to power my shop. Won't happen. But.....I did get a small 5 watt solar panel, about 12"X12" ($48) and it will keep a 12V battery charged. (tractor, when I am away) I bought another 12V car battery to run ceiling lights. Not knowing much about power draw I just bought 12V light bulbs and figured that I needed about 60 Watt bulbs to get any appreciable light. It drained that battery FAST. (I had bought incandescent bulbs like we all have in our homes) NOW, I have bought 12V flourescent bulbs that only draw about 12 Watts to produce same light as 50W incandescent. (They also have LED lights that only draw 4WATTS but they are very expensive....)
For about $150 you can buy 3- 15Watt solar panels from Harbor Freight. Don't know if they are any good......anybody out there tried them?
Good luck, don't give up....your lights WILL work if you provide a battery, just might run down fairly fast.

 

[redsox1]

Forgive my ignorance but are the lights for light and heat? Do I need to provide heat if I don't go w/ chicks and start w/ pullets? If they just need light to help prompt egg laying during the short winter days why wouldn't a solar powered bulb on a photo cell to come on only during darkness work? Sort of like the ones mentioned that light walkways, etc.?

 

[seymojo536]

Day old chicks need 95 degree heat. Reduce the temp 5 degrees each week until they are feathered out. Pullets will not need additional heat. The amount of light they get does have a direct effect on their egg laying. They need 12-14 hours each day. About enough so you can read a paper (40 watts). I always try and get the led lights after Christmas on sale. Run 3 or 4 strings along the rafters, gives the house a festive look. It's better to have the light come on in the morning for 4 or 5 hours and let the birds go to bed with the setting sun. We have ours coming on at 4:00 am and turning off at 9:00 am.

 

[radioman]

umm---- you really should read up a bit more on chickens. ideally, you would be raising your chicks in garage or basement with 100 watt bulb for heat. once they are chickens and if you REALLY need eggs during the winter, I'd figure out how to get power out to your coop for light and water heater. You would save from having a big hassle with power there for heating water during winter since you are from Massachusetts.

 

[bucktaker]

in short no....
we use a 40 watt bulb 24/7 to keep the water from freezing
100 watt cfl on a timer to promote egg laying...


31 chickens

 

[seymojo536]

Come on guys, he doesn't even have the coop built yet.
If I were you redsox, I would go ahead and build your coop.
Put your order in for some pullets around the end of May, first of June. Plan on picking them up in person, shipping on those birds will be HIGH!
Most of the time they will be about 17 weeks old at that point. Moving them into a new house will set them back a bit, so expect it to take 2 - 4 weeks before they start laying. It also depends on the breed you are thinking of getting. The sex linked hens will lay a lot sooner then the heritage breeds.
You won't need any supplemental light or heat at that point in the year.
Keep them until your egg production drops off due to the weather, day length, etc. then sell them. Don't feed them thru the winter just to get a couple of eggs a day off of 25 hens. Next year rinse and repeat.
And above all, build you coop so it is predator proof. You will have some money invested in your flock, make sure that br'er fox or br'er raccoon can't get to them.