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

[RUMBLON]

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?

Thanks for the advise, its greatly appreciated. I am putting the wires inside the walls so I don't think mice will be an issue. I also have a ton of barn/outside cats so thus far, no mice issues at all and the chickens and cats and dogs are all buddies. I will have a serious predator problem as we have coyotes, hawks, skunks, wolves ect but I have the run enclosed with chicken wire thats 6 ft tall and I have the dog run that completely surrounds the run and my garden, so that will help. Lately the chickens have been out of the run most of the day while the dogs are out and no issues. Mainly because 4 large dogs help out.

I did put a wire for a motion light out back of the coop as I already found one dead skunk tangled in the chicken wire and understand that this is where my night time threats will come from.

I have numerous outlets up front in the non coop portion for incubators ect but will ad a couple of lines like you recommended for a dust free outlet or two.

I also have a couple of simple light fixtures for heat bulb in case its very cold that I can turn on via a switch.

I am looking for ideas to keep water unfrozen and in my chicken nipples for winter time???? any suggestions or threads.

Thanks so far, please keep suggestions coming, I need to figure it all out before I insulate and enclose the walls.

RUMBLON

 

[RUMBLON]

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

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

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Ooh I like this side of the coop too. We dont have bears and wolves but seriously your main predators will be the little ones.... Chicken wire is not a deterrent. Dog kennels are only a deterrent to dogs... unfortunately.... I have seen a determined dog climb a six foot dog kennel panel.... My dog I had to have him put down because he wasnt rehabilitateable.... But I digress.... Mountain lions and bob cats will go right over.... Mountain lions will jump.... bobcats will climb. I have 300 linear feet of dog kennel panels trying to keep my goats safe.... sigh.

So having the electric fence will help for all those predators including bears and Wolves..... one strand at nose height and another strand up higher for the climbers.... IN my area Hot wire doesnt work because the ground is too dry.... If they are off the ground putting in Bipolar tape is a good alternative.... the tape has a double set of wires one positive and one negative.... In order to get through they wind up pushing through both and get a zap in the face.

One of the techniques... a fish and game person here at BYC recommended was to hang a can of Tuna oil to tempt a predator to come investigate.... When they do they get ZAPPED.... teaching them Your fences bite... This way you dont have to dispatch a predator he stays away yet keeps his territory so you don't have to train another.

They will not only come for birds and eggs they will come for feed too.... especially bears....

Bipolar electic fence tape can be found at http://www.horseguardfence.com/

You can do the same by running two wires adjacent to each other..... but it takes double the insulators and double the wire. They do carry sample packages good for an acre which would be an excellent use for chicken enclosure protection.

sorry i am typing too fast because i have to go....

deb

 

[vehve]

And if you put in insulation in the walls, the rodents will set up shop too.

For the water, I went with this:

It has a built in thermostat, and is meant for keeping water pipes and gutters defrosted. Gives out 10W per meter. The place I bought it from had it from 2 to I think 40 meter lengths. All you need to do is plug one end in a socket, and push the cable into the pipes. I just installed it a week ago though, and haven't had that cold weather yet, so I don't know how well it works. Also, I have a bucket waterer, not a pipe system, but I don't see why it wouldn't work. Finding something similar on that side of the pond should not be too difficult. A plumber might know what to call it in English, because the direct translation "self regulating defrosting cable" is probably not correct.

 

[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.