Winter Co-op Lighting - no electricity

[Yonaton]

My coop is 200 feet from the house and anything else. I got some pvc pipe (1 inch, the cheap stuff and some couplers), 250 feet of 10/3 electrical wire (this is the most expensive part, but luckily we had 150 feet of it left over from something else a few years ago), a light-switch, light-switch box, a wall socket and box, a light base, electrical tape and some fencing staples (small but heavier than staple-gun staples).

I had a friend crawl underneath the trailer and hook one end of the wire to a hot wire there, then we ran tied all the ends of the wire together (twist it length-wise and a little solder) and rand it through all the pipe we'd laid out from the house to the coop. Couple together the pipe as you clear each one (no glue! Just put them together, ince you may want to take it apart at another time and won't have to saw/cut anything).

Ran the wire into the coop as I needed it to the lightswitch, a wall socket and a light base. Wire it up and you've got a light and a plug-in for a heater or lamp or whatever if necessary.

At 200 feet, 12/3 wire couldn't hold the load of a small space heater being turned on in the coop, so that's why I had to go to 10/3. Anything further than maybe 225 feet with even 10/3 wire might not work and you'll have to get into the heavier and really bad expensive stuff. If it comes to that, it's actually far cheaper to just have the electric company put up a pole at the coop and power to it.

 

[darkmatter]

See my BYC page for pics of my setup. There has not been electricity or water ran to my Coop for twenty years, and no intention of doing so. My chickens have learned to go up before dark when they have enough to eat. I occasionally have a couple Juveniles that like to stay out to the last minute catching the night-time bugs emerging.

 

[toragirl]

@darkmatter I am sure you have lots of cold nights in winter. Our chickens up here in Canada wintered just fine last year without electricity. However, we didn't get eggs for about 3 months. So, my main purpose in finding a source to power a light is to either turn it on early in the day (5 am to 7 am) or at the end of the day to get a few extra hours of fake sunlight, so they'll keep producing. On all but the coldest days they happily hang out outside.

Do you get eggs through the winter?

 

[darkmatter]

Quote:
Yes, I still get eggs thru the winter, not as many of course, but with a flock of mutts some keep on laying.

 

[Ole rooster]

On the light thing, I think about the batteries in my fifthwheel. Now I do have to marine batteries but the point is if we conserve the use of electricity we've had the power last up the 5 days. And just think of all the things that are powered by 12V. I always make sure I keep check and allow enough charge to start the Onan to power them be back up, but 5 days on a self contained fifthwheel is quite a bit. That same or lesser amount of power should more than enough to power a light in a coop for a week or more easy. At least I think that it should. I wouldn't be afraid to give it a shot.

 

[RollinWithTheStones]

We have a rechargable coleman camping lantern. I'm hanging it in the coop today (once I locate it) It will stay lit for six plus hours, but it might be worth having an extra back up battery so one is charging while you're using the other. It's not a lot of light just a soft glow but might work. Is there anyway you could install a window in the coop? I just installed one in my coop and it does make the world of difference.

 

[toragirl]

Success!

I found a solar tent light from Noma (http://reviews.canadiantire.ca/9045...r-panel-led-hanging-light-reviews/reviews.htm). The solar panel is on the roof of the coop, and the light goes in through a bit of the chicken wire at the top. THe only issue is a lack of timer, but the light holds a charge all day, so I leave it on, turning it off after dark.