Solar light for chicken coop

[firegirl969]

We don't have any electricity running out to the chicken yard and we need to put a light out there so that the girls will lay through the winter. DH wants to know if any of you solar "experts" can give us ideas for a solar light that we can put on a timer to come on about 3 am. Thanks in advance, firegirl

[AlchemyAcres]

Check out this thread......

http://www.backwoodshome.com/forum/vb/showthread.php?t=16835

~Martin

[384sqft]

A few years back we had several weeks of bad weather (Tornado, record snowfall and 2 horrid floods) which left us without power for about a month. With my husband brain injury I couldn't trust him with candles or oil lamps so I had to find another light solution... I found it at Lowes... Solar spot lights the set was a small solar panel with 3 spot lights on 12 ft "power cords". I attached the Panels to roof of the house and mounted the lights inside. Once fully charged they put out about like a night light when pointed up toward the ceiling. When pointed down the light was bright enough to read by but only in the one spot it was directed toward.

When we built the new cabin we decided to install these solar spotlights. 3 point up and provide plenty of light so we don't trip over the dogs at night and 3 point down 2 toward the kitchen area we cook and wash dishes by them, another in the bathroom.

We also installed a set in the chicken coup all pointed down toward the nest boxes. the light automaticly comes on at dark and shuts off at sun up. The chickens have been living with it now for over a year and seem to be just dandy. Egg production is real good. Best of all any critters get in there the chickens can see them and start hollar'n and thus waking me up to go save them.

We spent $40 per set and they have paid for themselves a thousand times over.

[momma_to_seven_chi]

We don't have any electricity running out to the chicken yard and we need to put a light out there so that the girls will lay through the winter. DH wants to know if any of you solar "experts" can give us ideas for a solar light that we can put on a timer to come on about 3 am. Thanks in advance, firegirl

My egg-hatchery lady has hers in a home-made greenhouse type building. They have clear plastic panels over parts of the roof and sides that let in sun light. She says hers lay well because of all the light. She has gravel on the floor (over dirt), and the place is just built of 2x4s with that plastic and some plywood on bottom. She has a looonnnnnggggg building with several rooms of chickens. In winter she uses a heat lamp if it is too cold. It's on the south side of her barn. In summer, when it's hot, she opens the doors, so they can go outside. She even has her incubators in the barn next to her hen houses with a brooder there too. It's not solar lighting, but it lets in a lot of natural light, and hers lay better than mine from all that light in the winter.