Rain Barrels Chicken Coops And Solar Panels
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Welcome to Rain Barrels, Chicken Coops, and Solar Panels: projects to get you off the grid, a collection of awesome do-it-yourself projects from Instructables.com!The Instructables editors have chosen some of our best do-it-yourself off-the-grid projects to educate and inspire you to make great things with easily-available tools.Instructables is the most popular project-sharing community on the Internet. Since August 2005, Instructables has provided easy publishing tools to enable passionate, creative people to share their most innovative projects, recipes, skills, and ideas. Instructables has over 40,000 projects covering all subjects, including crafts, art, electronics, kids, home improvement, pets, outdoors, reuse, bikes, cars, robotics, food, decorating, woodworking, costuming, games, and life in general.
Do Chickens Need A Light In Their Coop At Night
Poultry owners can wield the egg-production cycle to bolster egg production in their flocks by providing artificial lighting in chicken coops.
Keep in mind the supplemental lighting must be set at a low-intensity level. The lighting must be applied in the morning hours so that chicks naturally perch.
Additionally, the lights must be situated above waterers and feeders. It is also necessary to have a few spots in the chicken coop that are shaded from the light.
Essentially, the type of bulb that you utilize to provide artificial light is a vital consideration to ponder on.
LED bulbs are ideal options because they are more energy-saving compared to fluorescent and incandescent bulbs even though they are more expensive.
Apart from these, they are more dependable in cold weather seasons compared to most fluorescent bulbs.
Please bear in mind that the consistency of light is quite critical. If you decide to manually turn the artificial lights on and off rather than purchasing a timer, make sure that you do this at the same time on a daily mode.
Theres no denying that light is a substantial factor for hens to produce eggs nonetheless, utilizing supplemental lights is a personal decision.
Some poultry owners select a bulb to obtain a steady supply of eggs throughout the winter, while some prefer eggs as their seasonal food.
Whether to light your chicken coop or not, the decision is yours. Just keep in mind that the ideal lighting is 12 to 16 hours of light a day.
Best Overall Solar Chicken Coop Light: Yomisga Led Solar Pendant Lights
Product Ratings
| Ease Of Use | 5/5 |
Brand: Yomisga | Max Lumens: 1,000 | Weight: 2.2 Pounds | Charging Time: 6-8 Hours | Features: remote-controlled, Adjustable Lights, 5 Brightness Settings
What We Liked
- 4 way adjustable light allows you to shine the light exactly where you want
- Super bright LEDs provide great lighting
- 5 brightness settings allow you to pick the right kind of lighting for your birds
- Remote control makes use and adjustment a breeze
- Light emits 1,000 lumens, brighter than a few other lights we tested
What We DidntLike
- Lights cannot be shut off independently, all 4 turn on when powered on whenever in use
- Light cannot be used while charging
The Yomisga LED Solar Pendant Light is a tremendously versatile light that will provide your chicken coop with more than enough light and allow you to shine that light exactly where you want it.
The 4-way light design features lights that can be vertically tilted 120° from flush with the floor below to shining towards the ceiling.
The light and its solar charging unit both come ready to mount in and on your coop with built-in mounting brackets.
The lighting unit is lightweight at just over 2 pounds, not too heavy to be mounted to most surfaces.
The unit charges fully in about 6-8 hours and comes with a 16.5-foot cable that hooks the solar charging unit to the light.
The charging unit swivels in its mount so that you can turn it to maximize its sunlight exposure.
This light features 4 different lighting modes:
Also Check: How Much Does It Cost For Solar Panels
Raising Chickens: Heat The Birds Not The Air
Regardless of the type of heater, its important to use heat lamps sparingly. The goal is to increase the temperature inside the coop just slightly to give the flock an edge against the cold. Its important not to heat the coop too much as the birds may overheat or experience shock if the heat light suddenly loses power. A properly heated coop will still feel chilly to the chicken keeper.
Heat lights and flat panel heaters work by warming the air in the coopraising the ambient temperature. Its important to monitor these heaters frequently to stave off the risk of fire and to ensure the coop doesnt overheat.
Some chicken keepers prefer heaters that dont heat the air at all. Instead, these heaters work by transferring heat directly to the chickens body on contact. This minimizes the fire risk and makes it possible for more vulnerable birdslike those elderly hens or smaller breedsto stay warmer without overheating the more cold-hardy members of a mixed flock.
Best Contact Heater: Thermo-Chicken Heating Pad
K& H PET PRODUCTS
An ultra-low wattage heating pad saves energy by warming on contact rather than warming all the air in the coop. This one can be mounted on the floor or wall and includes a steel-wrapped cord.
Viewpick Solar Power Heat Lamp For Dogs Pigs Reptiles And Chicken
The last solar heat lamp we have today is sold by Viewpick, they are small sized and pretty portable making them great solar emergency lights.
The orange color is pretty likable and feels nice to look at, they can also muster up to 165 Lumens, which is pretty great.
The Viewpick solar power heat lamps come with 3 lighting modes, but sadly there is no remote control and you need to change them by hand using the button.
You can either use the solar panel or the USB cable to charge the Viewpick solar power heat lamp and in both cases.
You get up to 8 hours of running time, compared to only 6 hours of charging time in direct sunlight. But what is really great is that you can also switch easily between the two charging modes to suit your needs.
Again, the same cons, the Viewpick solar heat lamps arent different from similar models, they tend to have a full waterproofing but not for the lamp, after all, they are made to be used as solar powered heat lamps for chicken coops.
Also, there is no warranty, but the 30-day return policy and the welcoming customer service will surely suffice.
What we like
Also Check: What Is The Best Solar Stock To Buy
Best Solar Lights For Chicken Coops Reviewed
Next up is the list for the highest rated solar chicken coop lights available. The reviews aim to help you make an informed decision and a choice you wont regret. After all, nothing is worse than receiving your solar light and finding out the description from the store wasnt accurate.
All of the solar lights for chicken coops listed below were added for their affordability, ease of use, features, battery runtime, weather resistance, and wattage. Here are the 10 best solar-powered lights for chicken coops:
Diy Solar Powered Automatic Chicken Coop Opener
Create your own solar powered chicken coop opener with a timer, a discarded 12v power tool, a 30W solar panel and a few other cheap parts.
Having chicken is, compared to other animals, not much work. You must provide food, water, and shelter, and clean the coop once in a while, but other than that, the chicken will mostly take care of themselves.
One of the daily tasks is to open the chicken coop door in the morning and close it in the evening after the chicken has gone into the coop for the night. Although this isn’t much work, it MUST be done every morning and evening. Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could automate it?
With a little effort and a few bucks, you can either purchase a commercial coop opener, like the Chicken Guard. Or, if you’re handy and want a fun little project, you can collect a few parts and create one yourself.
There are several ways of building a chicken coop opener, and you can also use this one as a starting point or just as inspiration, and create your own.
Specifications:
- Set the time it will open and close on a timer.
- 12V based solar powered off-grid system. But it can be hooked to the grid e.g. during the winter .
What you need to build it:
Recommended Reading: Should I Get A Solar Roof
How We Chose The Best Solar Chicken Coop Lights
There are several different types of outdoor solar lights suitable for chicken coops. Outdoor floodlights, hanging bulbs, and pendant lamps are a few choices.
Each type of solar light has its own set of pros and cons, but ultimately they can all serve the same purpose: to keep your chickens happy all year long.
The best way to supplement the wholesome egg production of the backyard flock is to design a solar-powered chicken coop. A solar-powered chicken coop uses waterproof solar panel lighting to offset carbon emissions and keep hens happy.
We rated these lights on many factors when choosing our top 6 best solar chicken coop lights.
Its not just a one-light-fits-all approach because you wouldnt use the same bright lights for a small chicken coop that you would if youre looking for solar lights that are big and bright enough to shine outdoors or illuminate a large chicken coop.
Medium-sized chicken coop lighting is easily accomplished by choosing 2 chicken coop lights that are suitable for illuminating a small chicken coop.
Each light must have access to direct sunlight, so chicken coop placement is important to maximize the solar panel exposure to the suns energy.
We also assessed them by price, ensuring each light lived up to its price tag. We took a close look at the overall quality of the product to make sure these lights would all stand up to the conditions in a chicken coop.
What Size Power Station Should You Buy
Size wise Im talking Watts here, so we are clear. The average 300W Power Station will power a 50-60W device for about 4-6 hours. According to most manufacturers.
Now lets take that with a pinch of salt as I only get 4.5 hours use from a fully maxed out, topped up battery. But lets assume youll get 4 hours then, airing on the conservative side.
Thats only half the night
Now that could be fine, just a few hours a night to keep the coop at a decent temperature and take the edge off any chill works great for most people. Remember that once you heat the chickens up they too will start to radiate heat, helping keep the coop warm.
If 4-6 hours doesnt cut it for you the answer is simple.
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Kyson Indoor Solar Barn Lights
If you are fishing for a practicable DIY solar chicken coop light, this alternative wont disappoint you. Its classic and stylish look does not only light up dark areas but can also add a more appealing appeal to where its installed. This solar lighting device can serve as an excellent accent light.
What convinced us to get this solar chicken coop light is its ability to guarantee portable and serviceable usage. It is our first time to get one for our chicken coop, and fortunately, we made the right choice. The pull cord and remote control allow a more effortless usage and operation for first-timers like us.
Please remember that you need to point directly at the housing of the device when using the remote control. Having a solar lighting device enables you to save more money as it does not require electricity. Using solar lighting solutions like this will certainly help preserve the environment.
Thankfully, the light is not extremely bright, but good enough to illuminate the inside of the chicken coop at dusk when we are closing it, and when collecting eggs. This shed light includes wall mounting tools required for fastening the solar panel. And, you can enjoy more versatile options where to install the unit.
- Cold weather conditions can interfere with the lights operation.
Pro Tip: Focus On The Water
Aside from the comfort and health of the flock, another reason chicken keepers choose to heat the coop is to ensure access to fresh flowing water. In areas where temperatures regularly dip below freezing and hold there, chicken waterers can freeze. This leaves the flock without water, which is bad for their overall health and well-being.
Going without water means the chickens will probably go off their feed, and this can trigger a stress response that causes hens to stop laying and molt. Since those feathers insulate the hens, molting in the middle of winter can be hard on the flock.
To avoid this possibility, keepers should regularly check that the chickens water hasnt frozen and may want to use an outdoor heat lamp or heater to keep the temperature inside the coop above freezingor focus on the waterer itself. Heaters designed to warm the base of the waterer ensure fresh, flowing water even when outside temps dip below freezing.
Its important to note that frozen eggs will crack, disrupting the bloom coating that prevents bacteria from entering the egg through the porous shell. Frozen eggs are never safe for consumption and should be discarded so that chickens dont peck at contaminated eggs.
Best Heater for the Waterer: Harris Farms Waterer Heater
Harris Farms
Harris Farms heated base warms the chicken waterer to keep the water from freezing. Its thermostatically controlled and works down to 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
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What To Look For When Buying Solar Chicken Coop Lights
Before purchasing any lighting device for your chicken coop, it is highly suggested to research it carefully to avoid wasteful and faulty investments.
If you buy hastily without giving it much thought, youre more likely to end up with unsatisfactory results.
To assist you to get the best solar chicken coop light option for your flocks, we have prepared some shopping tips for you.
Here are some of the solar-powered chicken coop light buying factors you need to think through:
Capacity of the solar chicken coop light
First and foremost, take in mind that if you pick a lamp with a capacity too small for the chicken coop area, this would require buying a few other lights to ensure sufficient lighting for your chicken coop.
In the same way, a lamp that comes with too much power compared to a chicken coop can be a wasteful investment too.The capacity of the battery
It is necessary to check out the battery capacity of the lighting device.
Note that a sun-powered chicken coop light requires operating all night, so you must ensure that the battery lasts at least 8 hours.
Youll end up regretting it in the end if you dont pay attention to the lighting devices battery capacity.
It is worth noting that a large battery capacity does not solely allow the device to work the entire night, but also helps make the device more stable.
The time it takes to fully charge
Flexible features
It refers to the devices lightweightness and compactness, so it would be easier to move or hang up.
Cool Coops ~ Solar Power Chicken Coop
from the garden-roof coop
This months Cool Coop is a great example of a DIY project, but it also has a unique feature that definitely puts it in this series of creative, inspiring chicken coops. The electricity supplied to this coop is not from a power line or extension cord, but from the sun!
When the Elliot family moved to Southeast Kansas in 2010, their goals were: To provide good food for our family, teach our children responsibility, compassion and a love for getting their hands dirty. We wanted to enjoy our surroundings and our lives together. We also wanted to prove to everyone that even if you have no experience with gardening, or chickens, or livestock or any homesteading kind of life, you CAN do it. We hope we are an inspiration to others who want to escape to the countryside, but just dont think it is possible. It is.
Similar to many of the readers of our Community, the Elliots like to take on projects that not only challenge them, but also increase their self sufficiency. Continue reading as Tina shares her familys first experience with chicken keeping, the construction of the coop and the installation of the solar power system:
Our Solar Power Chicken Coop
We moved to this property in November of 2010 and it had never been used as a farm with animals. The back land had been farmed for hay and twenty-five years ago , there were horses kept on the property, but when we bought the place it was not set up for homesteaders.
Recommended Reading: How Do Solar Pool Covers Work
Best Budget Solar Chicken Coop Light: Afoskce Solar Outdoor Rechargeable Light Bulb
Product Ratings
| Ease Of Use | 5/5 |
Brand: AFO | Max Lumens: 300 | Weight: 8.1 ounces | LED Lights: 20 | Features: remote-controlled, 4 Brightness Modes, Timer
What We Liked
- 4 different modes of brightness
- Sleep timer enabled
What We DidntLike
- The solar charging pad is a bit flimsy
With a low price point and easy installation, the Afoskce Solar Outdoor Rechargeable Light Bulb is a great budget option among the best solar lights.
Unfortunately, youll need to make modifications if you plan to permanently install it as the power switch is inconveniently located on top of the bulb.
On a positive note, the LightMe is a great option for small chicken coops.
It charges quickly through a solar panel with a USB connection and lasts for 8 hours on a full battery. You can also charge the light via an electrical outlet if theres a lack of sun.
You can disconnect the LED bulb and use it separately once it has a full charge.
While its dimmer than most solar lights, a small metal hook fixed on top of the bulb allows homeowners to easily move it around.
It can also be attached to a cord for more permanent installation.
| Best Light For Outdoor Coops | Best Budget Light |
| 5/5 |
