Building a coup- help me by listing electrical needs/ ideas? approx 9x20 ft coop. IDAHO and some sno

chicken coop

Im building a chicken coop for my 11 chickens with plans for maybe 20 total. I have built this approx 9 ft wide by 20 ft long, roof is 24ft/ overhangs. Im at the stage where I am wiring inside the walls for all my potential needs.

This coop has two room, the rear is the actual coop which is approx 9x10. the front is a room that will eventually house incubators on benches, a brooder for chicks ect. I hope to eventually breed chickens for both eggs and maybe some meat chickens as well.

I have numerous outlets in the front room and lighting ect for both the interior and exterior of this front room. My plans are to have either switched or timers/ lights on the coop side, a automatic chicken coop chicken door on a timer that I have from an older coop as a past home and something to help keep my water from freezing in the winter.

I am looking for other suggestions on items I may need so I can wire correctly and dont have to wire outside the walls later.

What other gadgets or needs/ suggestions are needed.

Thanks RUMBLON

are you building a small chicken breeding/processing factory? that sounds awesome

HOW come I get my image code to post pics in the text? I am on numerous forums, hotrod ect and never have had trouble using this HTML?

Suggestions for posting pics?

I honestly don't know if the forum allows direct HTML codes in the post field, but you can always try using the "Insert Image" button on top of the post/reply field

RUMBLON said:

HOW come I get my image code to post pics in the text? I am on numerous forums, hotrod ect and never have had trouble using this HTML?

Suggestions for posting pics?

Click to expand...

I can't get any browser on my PC to post pics. I send pics to my phone, then post the pictures with the browser on my phone.

First thing to consider, is dust protected outlets. I hope circuit breakers and surge protectors are part of your plan too. And a chicken coop will attract rats, so you might want to have the wires inside something that will keep them from gnawing at them. Then I would maybe connect them in a way that allows you to place timers and thermostats in one place, away from the worst dust, preferably inside some sort of cabinet. That way you could have some sockets that only go on when it's below freezing to keep waterers thawed etc. and other sockets on a timer for added lighting. Something to operate a fan during hot weather might be good too. Most people don't see a need for heaters, but if you do, take those into account as well. Some things to prepare for (and these are not necessary, depends on what you intend to do) are electrical needs of surveillance equipment, automated doors, water pumps etc. If you do processing near the coop, you might want to have something to plug a hot plate for scalding water and I don't know how plucking machines work, but I suspect they might be driven by electricity often too. You might want to have a way of lighting the run too, and something for light switches for when you need to go in the coop in the middle of the night. These are some things that come to mind that COULD be done, I'm not saying these are necessary.

*Edit*
Oh, and if you have predator issues, an electric fence around the run could be anticipated too.

*Edit 2*
Christmas lights? Power tool needs?

Oh, and top left in the editor is the button that will show you your post in raw html.

RUMBLON said:

Click to expand...

RUMBLON said:

Click to expand...

Awesome pictures.... Good sized coop too. What Vehve said about outlets. If you can get those kind of covers that have the waterproof covers on them. I hope you are running the power from the house in conduit buried under ground with a dedicated breaker. Especially if you plan to run brooders and incubators out there. Or heat. The power consumption should off a beaker in the house. Dont assume a long power cord is going to do the job. They are not designed for long term use.

If you can use romex. with good grounding. This way you can put in RFI outlets in the coop. So if the outlet gets overloaded it will shut the outlet off...

I know Idaho gets pretty cold so If you are deciding to use any sort of heat source out in the coop its especially importent to have good wiring form a good dedicated source.

Also you are probably going to want to run water heaters out there.... they typically just keep the water warm enough to keep it from freezing so what you can do is run those off a thermostatically controlled power source. they are inexpensive and switch on when the temperatures go below 40 degrees.

They are Called Thermocubes this link is to Amazon.com. But Tractor supply carries them as well as most of the feed stores in your area will. Often times they are used in a pump house to switch a light on when it gets cold.... to warm the room so your pump doesnt freeze

Chickens only need a place to get out of the elements and good ventilation. They put off quite alot of BTUS all on their own.

Vehve mentioned Rats.... If you are going to store your feed in the same room as your work room/incubator/brooder room. It would be a good idea either to build bins for your feed or put your feed in Galvanized trash cans. I live in an area where we do have rats but they are not nearly as destructive as ground squirrels.... Ground squirrels will burrow right up through the bottom of anything but Steel and feed themselves from the bottom.

Also Hot wire is an excellent deterrent against Coyotes and bobcats. I lost one whole flock to bobcats one year.... last year I lost a whole flock to Coyotes.... As well I lost goats to mountain lions. If you have deer you will have mountain lions....

A good farm dog is an essential predator deterrent... One that will mark territory and alert you to predators.

Night time predators for the most part are Raccons mink and weasels and foxes.... Any area that has bare dirt should have a skir or hardware cloth buried down a couple of feet. Believe it or not foxes can climb they are one of the few Canids that can....

So remember chicken wire is only for containing chickens.... It wont protect your flock from predators....

There are several sites here that you can paruse in your investigation of Coop build and DIY projects.... Look around What works for one person in one environment will not work for another.

Read alot take what you need file the rest for some of those Aha moments along the way.

OH and Welcome to BYC from the San Diego High desert.

Hey my horse came from a Percheron breeder in Sandy Idaho... Beautiful country.

deb