Solar power fans?

[sian]

Thanks everyone - that is a lot of food for thought! I really appreciate all the ideas and suggestions

I will have to do some research! The BYC board is fantastic!

When I mentioned about the chicken house not being structurally designed for more natural ventilation, actually it would be fine in most places, and perfectly fine most months here, but we live in a place with a gap between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the wind literally cuts through you in Feb and March. My concern with adding more windows is that even if we put up covers for them, the wind will cut in around the gaps and the chicks will freeze at night. It's lovely in August to have the breeze, but in February I can't slide open the horse barn doors because they literally blow shut against the barn. I have to go into the barn thru the wash stall.

Hence my thought about solar fans. But maybe the solar panel would blow away too - every year we replace parts of one roof or another.....but the chicken house, so far, has withstood all that without replacement roof or reinforcement

Thanks!!
Sian

 

[sian]

PS - Not sure if this makes any difference to your suggestions, but my chickens all free range during the day. I open the chicken house door in the morning and they all rush out (about 45 of them now, but 15 more in the brooder). They go roaming around the farm and in some woods behind the barn during the day. They go underneath 2 horse trailers or back into the chicken house when they get hot. Around 7.30pm they put themselves to bed in the house on their roosts and I close it up. But in August it's going to be hot at night in the chicken house with so many birds......

Thanks!
Sian

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Really really, it is not hard to weatherstrip the covers for the openings. Honest! Just make big openings, have lotsa fresh air in the summer, and cover them for winter. If you are *really* concerned, make the great big huge openings only in the E and S walls, so that the N and W walls (which bear the brunt of the wind) are solid.

Do remember though that you will need ventilation openings open all winter. So make sure you have ample winter-worthy ones built into the coop, probably atop the E and S walls, hooded or louvered or baffled if necessary. If you shut the coop up tight with no ventilation, you will get frostbite and so forth.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[crosbygroup]

Quote:
Solar fans will not run at night unless you have a battery to store the power generated during the day. The fans I mentioned at costco are not made to run off batteries. They won't help you for those hot August nights.

 

[cerridwenn]

Do not know if anyone mentioned this, But my local Home Depot has a Roof Fan that can work for the needs of cooling off a hot Chicken Coop. The Fan comes with a 10 Watt solar panel and a 10x10 or a 12x12 inch Solar Fan.

 

[Freckle Face Farm]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=335457

 

[mandalitten]

Try a boating store. West Marine sells this one http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_11151_10001_43906_-1?cid=chanintel&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=43906
It's passive so it only runs during the day. Depending on where you live, this might be good enough for you.
They might also have some that has batteries as well.

 

[turbo13]

Hi Re. Fan I Found A 12 Volt Solar Fan Device . Its Onlt 5 Inches Round, But Its Rated To Cool And Vent A Space Of 900 Cubic Feet, I Am Thinking Off One For My Coop 6x12 Its Sold By Heartland Of America,it Kind Of Expensive On Sale Now For $50.look It Up.www.heartlandamerica.com Or Call 800 229 2901it May Work For You.because Of Snow Here In Idaho.i Think It May Be Better Mounted On The Sunny Side Of The Coop On The Side. Good Luck Jim I TRIED TO ORDER THIS VENT TODAY. GUESS WHAT/ no longer available. waited too long!

 

[arle54]

I just found what seems to be a perfect chicken coop exhaust fan at Amazon.com. Actually they have several so shop the site. Not wanting to cut a hole in my new roof I found one that fits under the gable, has a long cord to the solar, for correct placement on the roof, and has a thermostat. Made by Honeywell with good warranties.

 

[Clifford Odel]

Hook up a solar phone charger to a DC computer fan. The fans are cheap at any computer shop or you can find a computer that someone is trashing and rip one out for free.Here is what I did https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/862074/solar-powered-coop.