Winter is almost here!! Share your tips and tricks for coping the elements with your chickens!

Here's a pretty good article on supplemental lighting for winter laying.


https://mikethechickenvet.wordpress.com/2012/03/30/chicken-vision/

"This is important if you use flourescent lights in your coop. Flourescent lights flicker on and off at a rate above what we can see….you notice it on old flourescent tubes that are dying….the flicker rate slows down and we can see it. It is exceptionally annoying. Birds can see the flicker in many flourescent lights, especially dimmable ones that are at lower intensity. It would be like being in a dance club with strobe lights on…..all the time….it drives them nuts…literally. On objects sitting still, chickens may not have as much acuity as we do, however. This explains why hens are as “spooky” as they are when somebody makes a sudden movement, and why one bird jumping from something can cause the entire flock to take wing, even if they didn’t see the offending stimulus."
 
Does the light make their sleep patterns more restless? And can I leave it on all night? I do not think I can rig up a timer.
 
You would be better off without any light than leaving them on 24 hours a day. I get decent enough production through winter without supplementing light. The length of daylight begins to increase about December 22, so unless you have a need for high production I don't think it's worth messing around with.
 
You would be better off without any light than leaving them on 24 hours a day. I get decent enough production through winter without supplementing light. The length of daylight begins to increase about December 22, so unless you have a need for high production I don't think it's worth messing around with.
Then I guess I'll just be leaving it off. :p I really hope it does not cut down on production too much!!
 
Then I guess I'll just be leaving it off. :p I really hope it does not cut down on production too much!!
weather fluctuations and storms will cause stress and halts in production throughout the season. First year layers will lay pretty consistently, production will begin to ramp up in March and April, so expect your best production during early spring and into the beginning of summer.
 
Does the light make their sleep patterns more restless? And can I leave it on all night? I do not think I can rig up a timer.
Timer are not complicated at all. Here is a link to one for $5. I do have this one and it is very easy to operate. No need to have a Rocket Science Degree.
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http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=lamp+timers

 

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