Getting electric hooked up before winter

[kipepeo]

I will have electric hooked up soon and wonder about what I should include--

1 light in each room

1 double outlet in each room
placement up - middle - or bottom of the center post (heater for water or hanging a fan for summer)

Would I need anything else. I saw on Randall Burkey ceramic bulbs that put out heat but no light has anyone used those and if they work well should I put an outlet for one above or directed at the top of each roost
The top is in the shadow of the pic about 2 rungs up and they line the top of both roosts

 

[RedStarDaddy]

I think I would consider putting a light on a timer in each room as well as one controlled by the switch on the wall. You would need to reset it every so often so the chickens had 14 hours of light, both electrical and day; that way you could keep them laying through the winter if you chose to do so.

An overhead electrical outlet close to a sturdy hook could be useful for hanging a brooder reflector over a brooder. That way the chicks wouldn't be absolutely strange to the resident hens.

And I would figure on two double outlets in each room -- one for the water heater and one more Just In Case. This is in addition to the one overhead.

RSD

 

[spartacus_63]

More is better and electrical components are not that expensive. I opted for GFCI and covered outlets. All my outlets are covered and at least higher than normal pecking range of the birds. I have lights on timers and switches. All my timers also have a switch over ride. I also ran my lights and brooder lights on a separate circuit from the GFCI outlets.

 

[patandchickens]

If you put in *two* ceiling lights, each one about a third of the way across the building, you will not have deep shadows and it will be MUCH easier to see/work in there.

And personally I'd put in two outlets, one at each end probably (unless you have a particular reason for wanting them elsewhere, e.g. existing locations of waterers), because outlet boxes are cheap and there may come a day when you want to split the coop in half and run a heated waterer base in *each* half, or plug in a circular saw at the other end of the coop, some other such thing. It is just easier to do now than later, IMHO. Making sure that you understand the maximum capacity of the circuit and do not go pluggin' too much into it, of course.

(edited to vigorously second *all* of spartacus_63's suggestions about GFCIs and covered outlet boxes)

Good luck, have fun,

Pat