24/7 lighting?

[debbieandbrucebuck]

We use the 250w bulb for heating, no problem. But we also have regular white lighting that we turn on in the evenings when we are out there visiting before they go to bed. Typically, we say goodnight and turn the white lighting off. They all meander over to the red light and get settled in for night-night.
Now, my husband has heard that if you leave the white lights on 24/7 that the babies will eat all the time and grow faster!
I don't like this idea at all. I think they need sleep time to grow and be healthy. I don't think it's good for them to be up 24/7 eating to make them grow faster! However, I'm a novice.
We have 25 rare breed chicks who are about 6 weeks old.
What do you think???

 

[kees]

It's probably not a good idea to change what nature had intended for these chicks to have. How would your husband feel if he had to live under the same conditions?

Suzy

 

[Colored Egg Farmer]

Every chicken need there rest Give them a break. I had my lights on for 24 hour once just for the heat but after that they were scared of the dark....

So best to give them lights off

 

[kees]

Quote:

 

[gritsar]

They scream and holler the first couple nights without their light. They get over it.
IMO, it's not good for any creature to have to live with light 24/7. Mother Nature intended for there to be periods of daylight and night.

 

[pkeeler]

The red light is plenty of light for them to eat. Most likely they have been eating at night and this is good for chicks. But at 6 weeks, it is no longer necessary for rare breed chicks to have light at night (heat might be another matter). Constant white light will lead to stress and probably picking/cannibalism. Once heat is no longer needed, you don't need light.

 

[debbieandbrucebuck]

Thank you SO much! That's exactly what I was afraid of, that these babies that we have taken every precaution with to grow healthy, would become stressed and start picking because they are being pushed to eat, eat, eat by leaving the lights on. They are accustomed to having lights out after dusk. To leave anything on other than their heat light, which is red, would be very different for them.

 

[Chauntecleer's Keeper]

I had a light on this winter 24/7. There does not seem to be any problems, but I guess I will put a timer on it now that it is warming up and the days are getting longer.