# off grid chickens



## offGridNorthern (Jan 1, 2006)

My lovely chicken coop is 750 feet from the house and it is DARK now. I'm thinking the chickens need to get some light .... so... if I got a small solar panel and battery and LED Xmas lights .... how big of a panel do you think I would need??


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## offGridNorthern (Jan 1, 2006)

I should have mentioned that the light is for me on the outside of the coop .. not for the chickens on the inside.


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## WisJim (Jan 14, 2004)

How much light? What are you using it for? How long will it be on? How about a flashlight to see what you are doing?


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## james dilley (Mar 21, 2004)

Don't forget that extra light in the winter helps egg production,.


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

offGridNorthern said:


> My lovely chicken coop is 750 feet from the house and it is DARK now. I'm thinking the chickens need to get some light .... so... if I got a small solar panel and battery and LED Xmas lights .... how big of a panel do you think I would need??


Why don't you just get the lights and the battery first----Charge your battery at your house---use a wagon or cart to move it for charging. Get everything hooked up and check it out to see if this is going to "Work" for you---------Then if So-----Buy a Solar Panel Last. I feel it would be the best way to go. Good Luck!! Randy


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## offGridNorthern (Jan 1, 2006)

WisJim said:


> How much light? What are you using it for? How long will it be on? How about a flashlight to see what you are doing?


I do the flashlight with the feed in one hand & the water in the other .... looking for a way to eliminate carrying the flashlight.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

Solar shed light $30-$40 at Northern tool. I have one that I take w/ me to feed goats and pigs....my chickens have electric 7w CFL 24/7 :shrug:


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## offGridNorthern (Jan 1, 2006)

Fire-Man said:


> Why don't you just get the lights and the battery first----Charge your battery at your house---use a wagon or cart to move it for charging.


I'm looking for less work -- I think the cart would be tought when we get a few feet of snow between me and the chickens.

And we're running the generator now, in Nov., because we can't get the charge up high enough in the house batteries ... that's why I'm looking for the possibility of a small stand-alone system at the coop (so I'm not stumbling to get there).


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## offGridNorthern (Jan 1, 2006)

mpillow said:


> Solar shed light $30-$40 at Northern tool. I have one that I take w/ me to feed goats and pigs....:


"take with you" so it's portable? But then I might as well stick with the flash light.


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

offGridNorthern said:


> I'm looking for less work -- I think the cart would be tought when we get a few feet of snow between me and the chickens.
> 
> And we're running the generator now, in Nov., because we can't get the charge up high enough in the house batteries ... that's why I'm looking for the possibility of a small stand-alone system at the coop (so I'm not stumbling to get there).



Sounds to me like you just need a light like the hunters/coal miners use---mounted on your hat---Then your hands are free!! Randy


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## rzrubek (May 13, 2004)

What, you don't have a 750 foot extension cord? :shrug: LOL, just kidding. They have those yard lights that are solar powered, they might work for you if you just need light to do chores by. I saw them at costco pretty reasonable, but don't know what stores you have around. Also, just using a car battery and some 12v lamps might work, just have to take the battery to be charged once in a while, it should last for at least a week if you are just using it while doing chores.


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## 12vman (Feb 17, 2004)

"I'm looking for the possibility of a small stand-alone system at the coop (so I'm not stumbling to get there)."

How much money do you plan to invest? Do you just want light along your walkway from the house or just at the coop? Due to wire losses, It's going to be tough to light the whole trail from the coop..

I may have some ideas for you. I built some outdoor lighting fixtures with L.E.D.s mounted along the front of my house that work pretty good. Not blinding light but you can see to get in/out of the vehicles..


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## sisterpine (May 9, 2004)

I have been in the same situation. The shop light (solar) works great when you are already at the coop. For on the way out to the coop through the dark and snow and cold I used one of those LED head band lights. Worked wonderful, freed up my hands to carry stuff too. Did not even go through one set of batteries in 3 months. Give that a try. Sis


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

The shed light can also be hung...it has a hook on the back for a nail head. But it also can be unplugged from panel and moved as needed....I find it very handy...I hang mine while I go down into pig stalls to feed....they might try to eat the light otherwise. :help: 

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/...?storeId=6970&productId=200306871&R=200306871


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## vtfarma (May 6, 2003)

I use a headlamp (led) works great. If I am down there with others and we need more light I have a rechargeable light that has a million candlepower. It has feet to set on and we position it so it is helpful to whoever needs it the most.


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

I like my solar\yard\path lights but they are useless when theres a stretch with out sunlight.


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

Okay it's simple. Just drag the chicken coop a little closer to the house.


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## uncle Will in In. (May 11, 2002)

Is the chicken house on the same farm as your house. You should be in good shape. A trip out there and back is about equal to 2 trips around a football field. Do you have to carry the water out there? I can see where a light would be nessesary. It's sure to get dark before you can get back to the house. I'm just teasing you. The light on the cap would be very useful in many situations besides the chicken trip.


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## offGridNorthern (Jan 1, 2006)

Fire-Man said:


> Sounds to me like you just need a light like the hunters/coal miners use---mounted on your hat---Then your hands are free!! Randy


Well now that's a thought!

However, because I'm going over to a dark area, I was thinking I would like to walk into the light. I'm also seeing timber wolves in the area and I know from the footsteps in the snow that they have circled the coop. There was one around last night and the dogs (in the house) didn't hear it. 

So I was thinking about a shed light on it's own panel & Battery but then someone mentioned the LED lights that take less energy but I haven't been able to find anything like that her in NW Ontario. The problem is I really don't know what I'm looking for.
I was also thinking about just stringing LED Xmas lights ... that would provide nough light to see any predators ahead of me &/or to see the door & latches of the coop itself.


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## offGridNorthern (Jan 1, 2006)

rzrubek said:


> What, you don't have a 750 foot extension cord?They have those yard lights that are solar powered, they might work for you if you just need light to do chores by. ..... Also, just using a car battery and some 12v lamps might work,.


actually that's a typo ... the coop is 75 -100 ft away ... fingers are disconnected from brain ....
Yard lights -- yes I have those at the front of the house and they work great in the summer. but in the winter, we have sun from 9-4 -- not long enough to get a really good charge.
battery -- that's a plan! Can I put the battery in a box in the coop???


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## offGridNorthern (Jan 1, 2006)

LisaInN.Idaho said:


> Okay it's simple. Just drag the chicken coop a little closer to the house.


ha, ha! Or put the chickens in the spare bedroom.

I made a typo -- the house is 75' away or maybe 100' (it is 30 metres -- whatever the equivalent is in feet....)


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## offGridNorthern (Jan 1, 2006)

mpillow said:


> The shed light can also be hung]



This is perfect mpillow!! And I know where one of these stores can be found (5 hour drive... but hey .. my chickens are worth it!)

Thanks you.


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

We found it worth our while to take electricity to the shed near the chicken coop and hen house. Not only could we use a light, but we found a heated base for the waterer that made life sooo much easier.


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

Yes you could put say a marine type battery out at the coop with a 40 watt pv pannel, a small charge controller, and a couple of those multi LED bulbs. Also a timer to shut the lights off in the day time.
This would be for light only.
Yes it would be more than a few bucks up front.
But once bought those items would light your coop for a very long time with out any problems.

For many less pennys just get a GOOD 12 gage wire extension cord and have at it.

Might have helped if you had corrected that 750 feet sooner. That distance threw us off.


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## Jamaican stead (Sep 7, 2006)

Here we use solar yard lamps. what we did was to remove the top off the mount, then driled a 1/4 in hole in the roof of the coop, and place the led light through it. Works great with four lights lighting the coop up till 3 am. Harbor Frieght is where we bought the ones we are using ran us 10 bucks for the set.


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## fantasymaker (Aug 28, 2005)

Just aim a spotlight out the window of your house at the coop?


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## sleeps723 (Sep 10, 2006)

i use 4 flood lights that r solar powered, they light up 30x60, paid 80$ apiece but i dont trip or bump my head


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## rambler (Jan 20, 2004)

So, $30 plus a bit of shipping and you are done, I'm not understanding the problem?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93661

--->Paul


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