Electricity in the coop???

[cw]

i have electricty in my coops not because of winter, but if i need to go out in the night and do something i have a light, i tend to clip wings, cull, etc at night when they roost and are relaxed.

i also work 3rd shift as well

 

[wildorchid053]

we have the coop all wired but haven't run the electric to it yet.. i have found if you go into the dark coop be prepared to get attacked.. boy do those roos protect their ladies. guess it's time to turn on the power.. besides we need the power to run the heated waterers and a heat lamp if needed

 

[2DogsFarm]

Can someone give me a ballpark estimate of having power run to my coop?
It's a converted metal shed about 30' (or less) from the house.

By ballpark I mean will it be hundreds or thousands of dollars?
Hundreds may be doable, the other not so much

The former owners kept poultry - chickens & turkeys - and there is an old fan still in there with an extension cord still attached, so I imagine that's how they had power.

I was planning on running an outdoor-rated cord from the garage for a heated waterer and possibly one of the heated mats I've seen advertised.
We get subzero temps here and it's dark by 4P in mid-winter.

 

[jafo]

I hard wired our coop with a light and a double outlet socket for the water heater, and or fan / heater if need be, but put a male plug outside so I can plug the coop in and out if I want to move it,just in case. Then I buried a heavy duty insulated electric extension cord and ran IT to a hole in my basement wall, through to a grounded plugin. Works very well.

 

[Opa]

Quote:
Running power to your coop need not be that expensive. 12/2 direct burial wire isn't terrible expensive and isn't difficult to install. Ideally you would want to start at your service panel and install a separate breaker. I know that you can do it for less than $100.

 

[goldeneggtees]

Our coop originally had electric when the older gentleman who built it still lived here. He even had a timed chicken door opener!

But somewhere along the way, the power was cut to the coop. My hubby just ran new line underground and we have electric again - YEAAAAA! I'm glad, when I have to go out there at night, I can see what I'm walking into. We are currently battling rats in our coop and it makes me very happy to be able to turn on a light so I don't end up stepping on one!

The poison traps will be getting setup this week. Sorry rats, but we don't want your kind 'round here!

 

[justmeandtheflock]

I have power in my coop. Not sure what it cost since coop building is hubbies job. We have a backhoe and a free electrician so I'm guessing it wasn't that much. It's nice to know that I will be able to brood my next batch out in the coop after the 1st few weeks instead of the garage this time around since it's getting to be time to fill the garage up with firewood. We have interior and exterior lighting, a fan and outlets in there.

 

[Vanessabuffsnsilkies]

We currently have heavy extension cords running out there BUT Dh has announced that our electrician friend will be coming to run electric out there! yay! I've worried about fire and it's a pain everytime we mow to unplug the cords and move them.

 

[garngang]

Wow thanks for all the replies guys!
See here's what we are planning. We use a well for water and the electricity for it is ran above ground on the tops of a few cedar posts. Yes the ppl before us were not into doing things the right way obviously. Well one of these posts is about to fall over and if that happens we won't have any electricity running our pump. Our coop is set up not 30 feet from our well house so we were thinking of splicing in when we bury the wire.
So then my second question is when u plug something in inside of your coop like let's say a water heater how do u keep the chickens from picking at the cord? Will they not peck at it and cause problems???

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

I have electric in all four coops - and I would be seriously bummed not to have it.

I love being able to flip a switch or plug something in and not have to think too hard about it --- especially if it's cold/rainy/ or I'm just plain tired and want to go to bed and not mess with stretching out and untangling an extension cord, etc...

I would be more worried about fires with an extension cord than with hardwired electric.

meri