Solar powered brooder lamps

[Daniel Grey]

Hello,
Could anyone help me with a little dilemma I have thought of: I am going to hatch out quail chicks under a Silkie hen, but I have been advised from a previous BYC post that that is possibly dangerous for the chicks as they could be squished! So, I am going to hatch out my chicks under a Silkie, then raise them under a brooder lamp. However, the place where I will be hatching them is outside. Does anyone know of a "kit" or something about how to set up a solar powered brooder lamp?
Thankyou,
Daniel

 

[nuthatched]

I don't think a solor lamp would be reliable. Can you run an extension cord?

 

[Daniel Grey]

The house is about 15 metres away so only as a last resort!

 

[fat brown hen]

A heat lamp draws roughly 250 watts, which means you'll need a 250W solar panel (probably more, as you're unlikely to get anything close to 100% efficiency). That will run you several hundred dollars. Then you'll need a battery bank for nighttime, plus a power inverter. IMO it would be more cost effective to use a gas-powered generator.

 

[Daniel Grey]

Thankyou.

 

[Tonyroo]

Brooding chicks of any kind should not be left outside when you can't get sufficient heat on them for 2 weeks and constant monitoring is required cause problems do occur. If not addressed in time they'll be dead. Please keep that in mind.

 

[Daniel Grey]

Ok thanks.