Solar Powering Chicken coop.

[Rich Marshall]

I am building a chicken tractor and would like it to be self sufficient, I am trying to gain inforrmation re solar powering the coop, I guess it would just need to power a light or two and a water heater.
Any suggestions and pics welcome.

 

[jnswright]

There is some really good info on solar powering a coop in some recent threads...
You might try a search to find them...

 

[TDM]

Quote:
Yes, my mobile hen houses are provided light ( two 10 watt CFLs) via two 12 volt marine batteries that are charged by five 15 watt amorphous solar panels. Also power a one joule fence energizer. However, I can't get enough sunlight to top off the batteries when running this combination here in the Michigan UP, and therefore use a generator and battery charger every so often.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

It's not worth the cost to try and run any type of heater with just solar power.

Just running lights will set you back over $100

 

[mochicken]

If you just wanted lights you could buy the solar walkway type lights for about $3 each and take the panel off, extend the wires, mount the solar light in the coop and the solar panel part on the roof of the coop