Recommendations for camera in the coop?

[sunnie7]

We put a baby monitor in the coop which also has a thermostat reader. It works out great! We can see who is in the nesting box and when to retrieve the eggs without disturbing them.
View attachment 2482412There were several days this winter when the outside temperature dipped down to single digit, and I was worried. After installing the monitor, we found that the coop's inside temperature is typically 10 degrees (F) higher than outside (without chickens), and nearly 20 degrees higher when they are all roosting! The baby monitor costs $49 from amazon. The brand is called "GoodBaby". It has night vision - so you can see the chooks all the time!! Attached is a video of our Polish (Nutmeg is her name) trying to arrange all the eggs from other nesting box to her box while laying (we put lots of ceramic eggs in the box to teach them where to lay eggs and prevent egg eating - our girls just started laying eggs last month).

Do these require WiFi?! I need options that don’t require WiFi!

 

[Lumikko]

Do these require WiFi?! I need options that don’t require WiFi!

My wifi didn't really reach to coop so I added an outdoor access point. Chickens have wifi!

 

[linguini]

Do these require WiFi?! I need options that don’t require WiFi!

No, it does not require wifi. It's a baby monitor, we installed the baby unit with camera monitor inside the coop, and I can use the mother unit anywhere inside my house to watch. Our house is about 75-100 yards away from the coop. But you do need an electric outlet to plug in the baby unit. We use a long outdoor extension cord - since we also need the outlet for the waterer heater. It worked out well.

 

[sunnie7]

My wifi didn't really reach to coop so I added an outdoor access point. Chickens have wifi!

Our WiFi is TERRIBLE!!! Our only internet options are satellite or DSL; we have the DSL and the kids can barely do school work and our Netflix and Hulu can me hit and miss.

 

[oldhen2345]

We put a baby monitor in the coop which also has a thermostat reader. It works out great! We can see who is in the nesting box and when to retrieve the eggs without disturbing them.
View attachment 2482412There were several days this winter when the outside temperature dipped down to single digit, and I was worried. After installing the monitor, we found that the coop's inside temperature is typically 10 degrees (F) higher than outside (without chickens), and nearly 20 degrees higher when they are all roosting! The baby monitor costs $49 from amazon. The brand is called "GoodBaby". It has night vision - so you can see the chooks all the time!! Attached is a video of our Polish (Nutmeg is her name) trying to arrange all the eggs from other nesting box to her box while laying (we put lots of ceramic eggs in the box to teach them where to lay eggs and prevent egg eating - our girls just started laying eggs last month).

Think I'm gonna get one of these

 

[NZChookdom]

Is the issue that you want it to motion detect when chickens walk into the coop? Maybe they're not big/fast enough to trigger it?

Yes, and good point! I change the motion detection to frequent instead of regular and that has helped a lot! I now see them leave in the morning and go in at night. And sometimes I catch one walking in towards the nesting box. Since only three of my chooks are laying so far – out of nine – there is not a lot of daytime action in the coop!

 

[tsperry88]

Wyze is great. Super super simple. Just needs power and wifi and setup through the app is a breeze.

https://wyze.com/wyze-cam.html

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Are there options that use Wi-Fi and batteries? I don't have power at my coop but have toyed with a camera (or six)

 

[tsperry88]

They exist. Just check Amazon for battery powered wifi camera. Technically any camera can run on a battery. The wyze camera I have is usb, so any car battery to phone charge adapter would work. When I built my house, I had a hotspot and camera in a tree, with a long cord, running off a deep cycle battery. Every 3 days or so I would swap it with a fully charged battery.



Here is one. No idea if it's good, but the reviews are decent.

https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Rec...1610305941&sprefix=battery+powred+wifi&sr=8-6


Actually, now I'm curious how long the wyze cam would run on one of those usb power banks for charging phones and such.

 

[16 paws]

I use the Wyze cameras. I have a couple of different models but the V3 is my favorite with the V2 right behind that. They do require wifi and power. The V2s work daisy chained off of one another, haven't tried that with the V3 and I'm not sure if it's an option. They have an outdoor cam that is rechargeable, good option if you don't have power in the area you want the cameras but my least favorite. Video quality is good. App is good. Price is right at $20 per camera.

They are fun though. You can catch pictures like Waffle doing her best cheese puff impression (quarantine coop, outdoor Wyze cam)
View attachment 2482275

Aliens in their brooder (V2)
View attachment 2482279

Sleeping potatoes (V2)
View attachment 2482281
And I've even provided footage to their vet when I had a young cockerel die suddenly overnight and then again when one of my pullets had some odd respiratory effort overnight.

Is that wallpaper in the coop? Love it!