Lights??

[Rescuechick76]

Do you all have lights in your goat houses? We don't have power ran out to it and I'm trying to think of a way to get some light in there this winter. My husband suggested a solar light, but we live in Minnesota :/ we don't get much sun in the winter. For our chicken coop we have an extension cord running to it for when they need light or heat, but I don't really like the idea. I was thinking about a battery operated light, but the hubby doesn't think a battery will hold up in the cold? What do you all do?

 

[Latestarter]

If you have a harbor freight store, they sell solar lights that have built in batteries. plop the solar panel on the roof and it will keep the battery charged so you can have lights whenever you need them. It's a DC system, like a flashlight... I'm sure you can find them online as well.

 

[Southern by choice]

We run extension cords as well... we have hanging lights.
We run the fans on them now and the lights to the milkroom.
Works- been doing this for a long time.

 

[greybeard]

I have 2 solar powered lights in remote areas, and they work great. Current solar tech doesn't require bright sunshine like the old days. If it is light out, the panel will charge the battery--not as fast as on a bright sunny day but it will charge.
I have one for emergency lighting in my shop. Motion detector controller with dual 10 led bulb cluster. Came with a 9' long dual conductor bayonet ended wire to run from light itself to the solar collector--collector is about 8"x8" . square. I placed the collector outside just under the eave of the shop where it would get light, installed the light inside, ran the wire out thru the eave opening and plugged it into the collector.

Plenty of light, for about 2 hours continuous burn. Needs to re-charge about 1/2 a day before full charge is complete. The only thing I didn't like was having to reach up to the light itself to turn it on if I had left it off from last use. Little bitty switch. I just opened the nit, cut the + wire that ran from the bulb cluster to the controller board, bypassed old switch completely, then mounted a low voltage automotive type rocker switch on the wall, and completed the circuit back up to the unit.

I have another one out at the pond--same model. Been out there in the open now for 3 years. The solar collector/light unit has seen torrential rains, bird pooh, covered in spiderwebs, iced over several times and has never failed. Note the datestamp on the picture. Lights are off in this picture--too bright for the camera to take a correctly exposed picture. It came from Lowes. Not cheap--about $100 in 2013.

 

[babsbag]

We have yard sale porch lights that are tied to trees and wired with extension cords that DH ran overhead from tree to tree. In the barn I use LED white Christmas lights, also on an overhead extension cord. He wraps the connections in ziplock bags and duct tape so they don't get wet. When we get the dairy done all the wires should finally be in conduit in the ground but for now they work in the trees. We bought a controller that has a remote so I can tell them off and on from my deck. Been using them for 8 years.

 

[misfitmorgan]

We use an old dairy barn so it has lights, power is run with underground/buriable romex. We actually just found exactly where that romex runs when we had to have the waterline that runs to the barn dug up because it was leaking all over and making a lake by the barn. Romex runs the same place as the waterpipe but about 3 feet higher.

So yes we have water and electric in our barn, the barn is equipped to run 18 lights in the animal section and 3 in the loft/drivethru. We rewired most of the barn so now the animal section lights are on 4 different switch so we just keep a light by the mandoor on when we are not in there...unless we forget lol. Also use fluorescent light because regular bulbs burn out in a few days when it is winter...hope to swap out to LED. The chicken coop has no electric or water so we are planning on getting solar lights for that, until we can have a trench dug to lay in waterline and romex.

 

[Mini Horses]

My barn is fully wired and water piped, as is my equipment shed with large run in barn all across back side. Chicken coops, not. I don't run light to extend hrs for purpose of chickens laying but, would like electric for a heated water source out there. Considering a small trench with wire to accommodate that -- Otherwise a solar light could work for just in/out checking on them, eggs, etc. And, I have 2 of those. Don't find they give "enough" light for me but they are small ones & you can see with them.

Considering a remodel in the barn to accommodate goat milking, handling the waiting line, etc., for that.

I have some of the tubed LED Christmas lights in my barn, running along the length of about 6 stalls, ceiling line of the aisle. Found those to be GREAT for soft light that can be left on when I had mares or goats in stalls for birthing. Haven't bred mares in years as I retired them all but, goats each year. It give enough light and not glaring, so no off/on when you go out to check.

 

[misfitmorgan]

I found Solar powered LED rope lights at Harbor Freight for $11 a string.
Auto on at dusk and off at dawn...ad says they last for 8hrs but reviews are saying at least 9.5hrs. I think we might try those for our chicken coop...we dont use lights for keeping them laying either but we want/need some sort of light for when shorter days come because we dont get home from work until 5pm at the earliest and it is dark enough here in winter at 5pm that its all flashlights, which is such a PITA. I'm also gonna snag some kinda light for the horse too i think might do the same rope light...i just need enough to see to water and toss him some hay.

 

[chiques chicks]

For my unlighted areas, I use a battery operated lantern I can hang on a hook. I just use it for general chores, it wouldn't work for milking or major chores.

I have no power to the chicken coops, rabbit cages are in a barn with power, goat shed has one small light, although there is an outlet if I need power for some reason.

I don't provide artificial light for the animals at this point, although I may need some weak lighting if I breed the goats. For walking outside I grab one of my many flashlights if the sky doesn't provide enough light to see where I'm going ( I like being outside in the dark)

 

[animalmom]

Lights in the goat sheds? Nah, goats too smart as is so I definitely do not want them reading at night.