100 Watt Solar Set-Up for Coop

[3bird]

Why are you heating the coop? Where do you live? I think you drop the heat and use LED bulbs and those 2 batteries with the panel will be plenty.

Gary

Thanks, Gary! We live in Maine. We are not heating the coop, but we do need to heat and/or circulate water in a storage tank to keep it above freezing. Also, we have available supplemental heat in the coop for when it gets bitterly cold or there is a duck that needs it (we also have a fan for the summer).

 

[3bird]

They are in Maine, it's a little cold there, lol.

If you are thinking of heating, I would heat only when it is 0 outside or close to it.
But i am not sure you are talking about Chickens or Ducks as you mentioned Duckhouse.
What ever you do, go BIG, more batteries then you think you need.

Also, not sure how much they draw on power but what about a Oil filled stand alone heater like this ? https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/st...MI5JP-sZ671QIVG1YNCh1XrQ5vEAQYAiABEgI1zvD_BwE

Thanks, Tigger! We have ducks, and they, as you probably know, do just fine in winter with their little down jackets. We won't have supplemental heat in the coop unless the temperature really plummets. For those situations we'll probably switch over from the infrared light to a more efficient wall mounted radiant heater.

The big issue is keeping the water in our storage container from freezing. Some of that will be accomplished through passive solar, but I want to put in a low wattage immersion heater and/or circulation pump on a thermostat also.

 

[3bird]

For heating the 55-gallon storage tank, I'm thinking about a low wattage immersion heater on a thermostat. We only need to keep the water temp just above freezing, and it will be insulated with passive solar already.

 

[tigger19687]

For heating the 55-gallon storage tank, I'm thinking about a low wattage immersion heater on a thermostat. We only need to keep the water temp just above freezing, and it will be insulated with passive solar already.

Not sure how big your Coop area is or if you have a 1/2 coop, 1/2 storage section like I will have.
BUT, what about a Rubbermaid Stock Tank with one of those heaters in it? OR, a floating heater like I have for my Koi pond. It kept my darn 150Gallon tank VERY WARM where there was always steam coming off it. I think I spoiled the darm fish. LOL

I am in the same boat about water in Winter. I have to run the Pond de-icer heater but I am thinking of using the left over stock tank for the chicken coop water and have it kept warm---and at the same time it might keep the coop warmer too? I would have to make sure there are open vents at the top of coop to let out all the moisture.

hmmmmm now you have me thinking even more....

 

[3bird]

Not sure how big your Coop area is or if you have a 1/2 coop, 1/2 storage section like I will have.
BUT, what about a Rubbermaid Stock Tank with one of those heaters in it? OR, a floating heater like I have for my Koi pond. It kept my darn 150Gallon tank VERY WARM where there was always steam coming off it. I think I spoiled the darm fish. LOL

I am in the same boat about water in Winter. I have to run the Pond de-icer heater but I am thinking of using the left over stock tank for the chicken coop water and have it kept warm---and at the same time it might keep the coop warmer too? I would have to make sure there are open vents at the top of coop to let out all the moisture.

hmmmmm now you have me thinking even more....

Our coop is an elevated 4x8 enclosed duckhouse (which we may or may not insulate before winter) with an attached covered run that is fully predator proofed. This week I am installing gutters and a rain collection system for duckwater. My storage tank will likely be a 55-gallon, food-safe metal drum (old maple syrup drum) that will sit outside the enclosed run. I want to keep this stored water from freezing during the winter, so I intend to build an insulated box around it with passive solar. I am thinking about installing a low wattage immersion heater in the bottom of that tank and put it on a thermostat. The next question is obviously a delivery system to their waterer in the run. Unless it's very cold/blizzarding/etc, they have 24-hour access to the run, so water and food do not generally go inside.

We have both heated buckets and a floating heater for a stock tank. Currently the ducks have just a ten gallon "pool" in the run, but I' swapping that out for a larger rubbermade stock tank later this summer (at least that's the plan!). I'm not sure about winter swimming water. I know they'll need something deep enough to dunk their heads in, but I may just go with a waterer and the heated buckets (with a partial lid so they can't "swim"/poop in the buckets).

Thinking out loud here and very much appreciate your contributions!

 

[tigger19687]

What about having the tank Inside with the heater? That way you can have the gutters to go a pipe, pipe goes inside to tank. You won't have to cover it and excess heat will heat the coop. You will need a screen over it for when Mosquitos are in the air, window screening is easy. I used that on my rain barrels in the past. Plus you cn rig something where it auto feeds the outside water.

Hmm now that I am thinking of it, I will be doing that for this winter. I might just use the rain barrels since I can't use them on the house (apt) I rent.
I will be keeping the water and feed inside for the Winter even though I will let them have access to outside.
I think I get more Snow then you are on the water and I am inland .

 

[3bird]

What about having the tank Inside with the heater? That way you can have the gutters to go a pipe, pipe goes inside to tank. You won't have to cover it and excess heat will heat the coop. You will need a screen over it for when Mosquitos are in the air, window screening is easy. I used that on my rain barrels in the past. Plus you cn rig something where it auto feeds the outside water.

Hmm now that I am thinking of it, I will be doing that for this winter. I might just use the rain barrels since I can't use them on the house (apt) I rent.
I will be keeping the water and feed inside for the Winter even though I will let them have access to outside.
I think I get more Snow then you are on the water and I am inland .

The radiant heater won't significantly warm the whole duckhouse--rather it will just provide a warm space on one side where it's mounted. Also, with only a 4x8 enclosed duckhouse and 7 silver Appleyards, I don't really have the space inside. I think I'll just build an insulated enclosed stand for the 55-gallon drum and then experiment with low wattage immersion heaters. For the delivery system, I may just reply on a good spigot and a hose in an insulated heated case that I'll pull out or watering....maybe. In terms of snow, it really depends on the year here. We are on the coast, so generally big dumps that melt pretty fast, but a couple winter's ago, we (and all Down East) had feet on the ground most of the winter. Who knows?!

 

[tigger19687]

Yeah, I am wishing for a mild and less snow year this year

 

[3bird]

Yeah, I am wishing for a mild and less snow year this year

Oh we adore the snow! But more for winter sports than carrying water to the duckhouse ;-)

 

[tigger19687]

Don't get me wrong, I love the snow too, just not when we get a 1-2 foot Blizzard every Monday for 5 week (I think that was 2015) Glad I didn't have hens then because I had no place to put the snow.
I also don't like freezing weather, 20+ I like, below that and it better only be for a day LOL