Chicken/Coop Cam

[TillinWithMyPeeps]

Hi,

I have been thinking about setting up a coop web camera, so I can check on the birds from my computer. Has anyone already done this? Are there any good specific wireless cameras/ brands that you would recommend?

Thanks!

 

[fopzuu]

That's cool idea! Make sure you get one with night vision
And check at Costco.com they have security cameras that might do the trick.

 

[TillinWithMyPeeps]

I checked out Costco's website, and didn't find any

Anyone else have any ideas?

 

[schmije]

We did this when we had chicks (and puppies). It was a huge hit. We loved being able to check in on them while we were at work, and our family watched them throughout the day as well. I don't know the specifics of how it all worked (my husband is the techy in the house), but it was great fun to watch. I'll forward this post to him and see if he has a few minutes to reply to you.

His login is schmism.

 

[chickens4jojo]

If you find out how to do this, please let us all know.
I have wanted to try that for quite some time now.

 

[schmism]

Hey guys, schmije DH hear....


both times i did it it was wired. I usually put a headless computer (no monitor) in the area i wanted to film. attached a normal USB webcam and used some off the web free webcam software.

We have our own site so hosting pics was easy. Most of the webcam software allow you to input FTP info. so i simply tell it how often to take a pic, it takes it, initiates the FTP connection and uploads the file to the directory i specify. I then wrote a simple HTML page to display that pic and refresh it every so often... (equal to the upload time)

This past time with the chicks i tried to do a live feed, but couldnt figure out how to get my feed to get out on the net. (basicly your streaming data off your machine through a specific HTTP port on your connection (dsl router))

you could go the wireless webcam route but they are generally expensive and still require 120v power.

so if you already have power in the coupe, and have an old desktop laying around (even win 98 vintage) its easy to attach a usb webcam and usb wireless access usb dongle to it. I use VNC to remote desktop to the remote computer so i dont have to sit at it and configure it. As soon as the machine boots, VNC service is started so you can log in from your other machine also. Windows remote desktop would also work, but only for XP and later on both machines.

One note on the webcams. dispite having 2 very diffrent aged webcams, and the second being a decent one, lighting and F-stop (exposure) was a significant issue.

my first one worked well in low light, but washed out easly with full sun on the scene. my second one, sucked at low light, but was great in full sun. When i had the white heat lamp on you could see the chicks ausome! but when we went to the red lamp and turned off the room light (bathroom) you could barely see them.

my first webcam for the puppies was a freebee from a friend who got it at a garage sale. the second was about $30. perhaps if you keep going up the spectrum in price youll find one that does better with the lighting, personally i think they get way to fancy with sound, and tracking etc and will still likely suck for lighting conditions.


If most of that flew over your head and you still want to have a go at it, i strongly suggest a wireless all-in-one-plug-and-pray solution. If most of it kinda made sence and you already have the hardware laying around, give it a shot! plug-and-pray solution is $100-$200

 

[Jestre]

I don't know if you are still trying to get a stream going, but if so I would recommend using a site like ustream.tv or stickam.com. Both use a little flash applet to take the audio/video feeds from your cam and stream them up to their site. From there, visitors can view your video.

Additionally, both allow you to embed a flash applet in your site with which viewers can watch your stream. This way you can maintain the look and feel of your site, and you don't have to send the viewer offsite to see the vids. Both also allow chat, if that is of interest.

Regardless, the greatest benefit of either of these sites (beyond ease of use) is that with the exception of the single feed to the site, all of the bandwidth consumed by your viewers is coming from ustream or stickam. This allows viewer counts well beyond the capacity limits of any DSL/Cable connection. This allows even those on DSL/Cable Lite packages to stream video to multiple users.

 

[PaintedMeadows]

I have a wireless security cam that has infrared and sound that I use as a foaling camera. I only have it hooked to a tv in my house so I can watch at night and ake sure I am there when they foal. Caught both mares that foaled at night this way. Now apparantly there is another piece of hardware that you buy to plug into your wireless receiver and hooks to your computer to put it online but I haven't done that yet. Hopefully for next foaling season. There is a page at http://www.marestare.com that explains the software and how it works I believe. Let us know when you get setup. It would be alot of fun to watch!!!

 

[Mrs MIA]

This is the kind we use, though I didn't pay that price! LOL!

http://www.amazon.com/Swann-Wireless-Outdoor-Security-System/dp/B0006IWXOC

I got it for watching broodies, but now I have it hooked up to the VCR to record who's laying.

It has the infrared, and works really well.

 

[schmism]

Quote:
no both times ive set up the cam it was only for short period. when the chicks were in the brooder hear in the house, and when the pups were being kept in the welping box (first 2-3 weeks)

I havnt set one up in the real coupe, although i suppose i could, just to keep up with daily life in the coupe. the main issue would be camera angle. generally there angle of view is so narrow that by the time you set it far enough away to get a wide shot, you loose alot of the "fun" details.