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

[RUMBLON]

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

 

[aart]

Deb thanks. Well as far as the wiring, it does not have its own panel but two lines underground in conduit to a breaker panel breakers with its own breakers and once inside, two GFI's. I think my AMP draw will be fine. We are in SERIOUS predator country, approx 75 miles North of Boise in Cambridge Idaho. I have 175 acres here of intermediate grass for cattle and some open ground so I can see large animals ect. But when the grass is tall ad uncut deer and coyotes can hide pretty easily. The big BAD here are the wolves but they are rarely seen and usually kill whole flocks of sheep and cattle, deer elk ect. Here we have coyotes and when you have coyotes its good because coyotes fear the wolves and leave the area when they think wolves are around, so coyotes are at times a good sign. I didnt know about the heat blocks, thanks I will grab a few for the heat lamps. This place should stay pretty warm when done.

I may see about a hot wire if having the dog run surround the run and coop does not protect it. Right now the coop and run have the chicken wire around it and then the wire mesh fencing to hold in the dogs and larger animals like coyotes. The only issue I have had so far is when a hawk tried picking up one of my chickens and my wife scared it away. I MAY have to enclose the top of the run but when this happened the dogs were locked up and not there to serve and protect.

RUMBLON

Don't try to 'heat' the coop....but keep it dry and ventilated. Check out ventilation link in my signature.

 

[ProviderEx]

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

 

[RUMBLON]

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?

 

[ProviderEx]

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

 

[LPeaslee]

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 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.

 

[RUMBLON]

 

[RUMBLON]

 

[vehve]

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?

 

[vehve]

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