How do you block up holes in the coop for electric cords/hoses?

[Sammimom]

Our little coop here in the Seattle area isn't insulated, but there will always be a week or two in the winter with pretty cold temps. I had planned on putting a coop "tile" heater in there for those situations. Also, after our horrible NW heat wave I bought a "patio misting set" to use on the run for those 90+ degree days our birds are not used to.

My question is, how do you go about safely blocking the hole you cut for the cord or hose that is hooked up so infrequently? I read all these horrible posts about weasels and such who get to the birds through small openings. Do you just have a solid board you screw back on after you don't need it, or is there a more clever solution?

 

[AkTomboy]

I would wire in an outlet box in your coop. That way it is always there and you can secure the hole where you ran the wire in. This way no hole for critters to get in and yet you are able to deal with the few cold days you have. But thats just my 2 $.02

 

[Judy]

I agree, you really don't want to run a heater on an extension cord. For water, we just plumbed up a faucet just outside the coop. Not expensive projects if you do it yourself.

 

[marksbirds]

I would do that or what I did was run an extention cord thru the wire, then ran it up to the roof line. I attach an outlet strip to it. The cord down at the bottom is wraped in a cord channel tube from staples. It is used to keep all the cords together from computers and things. This way I can block the hole and keep it in the pen, coop or aviariy all year.

 

[scooter147]

They actually make a metal circle thingy to put around the hole you cut for the wire. I bought one for the hole I cut to run wire up through the coop floor. It keeps mice and rats from chewing at the hole to make it bigger and gain access to the coop.

 

[cmom]

You can buy a waterproof junction box to put on you coop to run the wires through. I just cut a hole in my coop put the wire through and put a rubber flap over the hole to keep rain out.

 

[Mahonri]

Quote:
There you go!

Giddy up!

 

[Uzuri]

We actually ran a hole through the side of MY house, not the chicken house, for emergency pump use (we had some water problems!) and our method was to caulk in a length of PVC pipe with fitted caps. Take the caps off and run your hose through to use it. Put the caps back on to keep out rodents and rain. If the hose needs to be through for a while, we stuff the pipe around it with steel wool.

I agree on wiring the coop though. Heaters and extension cords don't mix.