Do you keep the light on all night or only for a couple of hours?
Lights in the chicken coop
- Thread starter Southernchickens
- Start date
Is it a light to extend the daylight hours? If so just a couple of hours. If it is a heat lamp over a brooder - all the time at the proper temp.
- Thread starter
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It is a light to extend daylight hours
- Dec 31, 2010
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In the winter, I leave a red heat lamp (suspended from the ceiling) on 24/7. It helps add a bit of extra warmth and extends daylight hours. No decrease in egg production--mine were still laying when we had our freak snow storm in January! (I'm in North AL, by the way). Hope this helps!
- Jun 11, 2010
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I have a 150 watt fluorescent (60 reg watts) in my 12x12 coop on a timer to get the light to 16 hours per day (its on four hours in the morning and four hours at night). The timer cost about 5 bucks, and I am getting 18-20 eggs per day from my 26 birds (6 months old). This is in a central Illinois winter with regular wind chills below zero at night. The flock is pretty much 2-3 birds from of every heavy breed McMurray Hatchery sells.
Quote:
We use the timer, as well. we bought it at Christmas time. It's the type used for Christmas lights. We turn it on at 4 am, and it goes off at 5pm. We're getting over a dozen eggs/day.
We use the timer, as well. we bought it at Christmas time. It's the type used for Christmas lights. We turn it on at 4 am, and it goes off at 5pm. We're getting over a dozen eggs/day.
Mine is on a timer to go on in the early AM and off after sunrise. I don't like the idea of it suddenly going dark on them, I worry they will get caught off the roost, but that's probably silly as I find them on the roost an hour before sunset.
I've read a number of times that a regular light all night disturbs their rest. That's why people use red heat lamps; supposedly the chickens can't see the red light. Don't know whether I believe that or not, as red food ant water dish rims are common, they will peck a bloody spot on a chicken, and they don't like red clothing. Maybe some day someone will explain all this to me.
I've read a number of times that a regular light all night disturbs their rest. That's why people use red heat lamps; supposedly the chickens can't see the red light. Don't know whether I believe that or not, as red food ant water dish rims are common, they will peck a bloody spot on a chicken, and they don't like red clothing. Maybe some day someone will explain all this to me.
During the short days of winter, I like to give my girls an approximate 15 hours of simulated daylight. My timer comes on at 4 pm and off at 9:30 pm. Morning light turns on at 6:30am and off at 9am. I'm so glad that the days are getting longer again. Our weatherman said we are currently gaining 3 minutes of daylight each day right now. Spring is coming !! (currently buried under two feet of snow in Michigan)
I have a little 15 watt rubber coated cfl bulb that comes on at 6am off at 8am and on at 4:30pm and off at 6:30pm. I just do I so I have light to work in before and after work and can visit with them a little. That is 12.5 hours of light a day and I get 25 eggs per week from 5 pullets.
Mine is on a timer. The bulb is a CFL. When my hens tailed off on their egg laying this winter, I thought I would try and increase the amount of light. Didn't work.
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