groovydad Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Does anyone have a webcam in their coop? I'm thinking of getting a cam for the coop as everyone is always asking to see pics of the chickens (and it means I can check on the new ones during the day without disturbing them). Looking around at different cams and prices, I'm totally confused. Wireless would be desirable, some people say to get a cctv rather than a 'webcam', don't want to spend over £70-80 max (ish) but I do want quality otherwise what's the point? So has anybody done this and what are their experiences and recommends? Thanks, Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lydia Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 We have a really cheapo set up - one camera in the cube and other in the run which flick between each other on a time lapse that we set. They're really birdbox cameras that we picked up at an exhibition for about £50 a few years ago. It works well enough and we have it set up in our bedroom. It is really useful on workday mornings when I don't necessarily have time to go out and do a visual health check as I can do this while getting ready for work. It's also especially useful in the winter months too when you're not out so much. It's interesting to learn who lays which egg and when and proved a godsend earlier this year when we caught a fox slinking up the side of the run - I've never seen my husband get out of bed so fast! There's no facility to capture pictures or record footage (other than taking a photo of the TV) so when we re-do our set up we will probably get that. I would also recommend a wireless set up (ours isn't at the moment) - it's more expensive but the thought of digging up the patio again to bed in the wires and poking about in the loft is not terribly inviting. We looked at this model at the Eden Project last year but weren't ready to change at the time so didn't look too deeply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackian Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 I have not got one ..but want one ..but I am sure it is on here because of fox attacks people recommended scout cameras but not sure of the price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miggy Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 We have one. I have used an indoor one as our WIR has a roof. Bit cheaper than outdoor types. It is wireless so goes through our router and are not to bad to set up but you might need a little computer know how if you are going through a web browser to watch as I had to assign a port. They are great fun, we can watch the chicks from our phones when bored at work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groovydad Posted September 7, 2012 Author Share Posted September 7, 2012 Thanks all, keep the advice coming. Our WIR is roofed and pretty much waterproof so i may go for an indoor one. What do people do with the power cable? insulate and run it through the ground/wall ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miggy Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Our webcam is 5 volt supply. We plugged the adaptor in in the shed and ran the cable down the run, cable tied high up on the mesh. Problem was the voltage was to low when it got to the camera( bit technical now but we are talking volt drops). We then used an old computer 12volt supply and used a dc to dc converter with a 5 v output next to the camera and it works a dream. I know that is a bit technical but it might help if you are thinking of setting one up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 I would get a Wireless IP camera so you can view it online. I had a small infra-red cctv camera I could put inside the coop and was useful for keeping an eye on a broody for the last 3 days of incubation without disturbing her. Maybe have a look at something like *this*? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 I have a wireless foscam... works well, and I can watch from my android mobile too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
