Adding a light to my coop?

[Tinkey71]

My chickens are coming to maturity in the winter- OH NO! I've read that the diminished daylight can put them off laying. I also read (somewhere) that adding a light to your coop can "fool" them into laying in the winter months. Was wondering what people's experience is with this and how they did it. I got a solar powered light and was wondering if I should put it in the coop itself or just shining in there or what? Worst case scenario I thought the light might be a deterrent for predators.
I already added scratch grains to their diet, which I've read/heard is another trick to keep them laying in the winter months.

 

[azygous]

You seem to have a bit of misinformation about light. Layers require a bare minimum of twelve hours a day of light exposure to stimulate hormones that govern egg laying, and you can accomplish that by adding a low level light in the coop to come on during the early morning preceding sunrise.

Light won't affect predator activity other than making it easier for them to see what they're doing. It also makes it easier for your chickens to see what they're doing and the light will rouse them earlier to start partying instead of sleeping.

Over the years I've attempted adding light to get my hens started laying earlier, but it didn't really make that much of a difference, mostly just effected a higher light bill. I found that my hens start laying regardless of added light or not after January when the days begin to add to the daily light total naturally.

Also, with new layers, you don't want to stimulate them to begin laying too early before their bodies are adequately mature.

 

[Acre4Me]

Up to you. Don’t leave light on all the time (like through the night), so a timer is helpful. At the equator, the chickens there get the same amount of light all year round, so it’s not a bad thing to supplement. Proper feed and protein is most important. A natural egg laying break occurs at molt.

Scratch is a treat -they love it- it’s a bit like junk food. We use it later in the day, or to gather the chickens back in from free ranging. Shake the container, call them, and toss some... if they are in earshot, they will come for their version of junk food.

We added supplemental light on a timer and the chickens are laying regularly. We have heritage breeds, so do not get 1/day/bird. We get 4-5(sometime 6)week/bird.

Good luck

 

[proudmommie31]

Light works great in my opinion, when the hens are of an age to start laying. I use it myself and this year the pullets were coming of age just when the days were getting short. Do get a timer, it needs to be consistent daily and the easiest way is to have it come on in the am so that it adds the extra hours needed to total 14 hours (artificial and sun combined). So currently here in MI my light comes on at 3am and shuts off at 8 am) it also comes back on from 4-6 pm as my chickens do better not entering a dark coop and trying to find roosting spots. I used the same 14 hr a day approach with my last flock and they laid steady all winter. In my opinion its worth it. It may take a week or so to start making a difference. Light will *not* cause a chicken to lay who isn't ready to (in case that was your goal). But it will keep already laying hens laying and will supply the hormone production needed for them to get ready to lay. And yes I'd put the light in the coop.

 

[Kasilofchrisn]

I give my girls 14 hours of light every day.
Here in AK it can be dark most of the day on a cloudy winter day so I just leave it on 14 hours a day.
I bought an outdoor rated light timer from Home Depot to keep things consistent and for when I'm not home to turn it on/off.
I use a heat lamp but switched out the bulb for a regular one and secured it so it cannot fall down or be knocked over.
It works great for me and I have fresh eggs when most others do not.
I have heard that using the light will cause my chickens to reach their laying peak sooner and not lay as long into their life.
But that doesn't bother me as I prefer to get new chicks and make canned soup out of the older hens.
It works great for me!

 

[cmom]

I use 1.5 watt LED bulbs, = to a 15 watt incandescent bulb, in my coops. I leave them on 24/7/365. I do turn them off occasionally when working out around the coops because my switch turns off everything including my electric wire around my coops and pens. The largest reason that I have noticed over the years of why the birds tend to slow down laying in the fall/winter, is because they start to molt late summer and fall and the degree of the molt, whether it's a light or heavy molt. Most Canadian geese cannot fly usually around the months of August into September and in certain parts of the country they will gather around a pond or similar while they are molting and getting their new flight feathers back in.

In the past I have tried lights on timers, no lights, lights on all of the time as well as different wattage's. I never saw a significant increase or decrease. I think a good high protein diet while they are molting to help with the feather growth, which is primarily protein, helps. Usually the pullets I have started to lay around 6 months give or take a month. Everyone is different with different setups and different ways. My Leghorns are my best layers even when molting.

 

[Tinkey71]

Lots of good info
Something I’ve learned on these boards is, something different works for everyone
I have Rhode Island Reds that are 20 weeks- RIR are known to be early layers at 18-20 weeks
I’m not really trying to “force” them to lay early, I just want to make conditions as best as I can to facilitate laying if they can/ will if that makes sense
I have a solar powered light that the charging lasts 8 hrs- so right now it is coming on about 5 pm
( gets dark that early :-( ) and goes out around 1-2 am. So it’s not All night but maybe not exactly consistent- I don’t have it in the coop yet, just shining in the door as I wanted to see what people said.
It definitely helps me for going out to the coop before bed as it is VERY dark here but I will have to think about what everyone said and possibly move it

 

[aart]

It's not like flipping a switch on the egg laying machine.
No guarantees that adding light will keep your birds laying,
as there are other factors at play....diet, crowding, breed, etc.

A timer is essential for day to day consistency of light duration.
~13-15 hours of light is best, they need about 8 hours of darkness too.
Light needs to be bright enough for keeper to read a newspaper at roost height.
Birds need to have access to feed and water when light is on.
Adding light will not make a pullet lay before it's body is ready to produce.

Here's a pretty good article on supplemental lighting.

 

[Melky]

My chickens are coming to maturity in the winter- OH NO! I've read that the diminished daylight can put them off laying. I also read (somewhere) that adding a light to your coop can "fool" them into laying in the winter months. Was wondering what people's experience is with this and how they did it. I got a solar powered light and was wondering if I should put it in the coop itself or just shining in there or what? Worst case scenario I thought the light might be a deterrent for predators.
I already added scratch grains to their diet, which I've read/heard is another trick to keep them laying in the winter months.

I do not use light. My pullets came into lay this week at decreased daylight hours without use of light. I go with Mother Nature as they may need the rest for preparing for winter with new feathering and first year juvenile molt and following every year after annual adult molts. Scratch grains is an adult treat and not for chickens under 28 weeks. Would limit as treat to 10% or less of diet if over that age group.

 

[cmom]

Lots of good info
Something I’ve learned on these boards is, something different works for everyone
I have Rhode Island Reds that are 20 weeks- RIR are known to be early layers at 18-20 weeks
I’m not really trying to “force” them to lay early, I just want to make conditions as best as I can to facilitate laying if they can/ will if that makes sense
I have a solar powered light that the charging lasts 8 hrs- so right now it is coming on about 5 pm
( gets dark that early :-( ) and goes out around 1-2 am. So it’s not All night but maybe not exactly consistent- I don’t have it in the coop yet, just shining in the door as I wanted to see what people said.
It definitely helps me for going out to the coop before bed as it is VERY dark here but I will have to think about what everyone said and possibly move it

Not all Rhode Island Reds are the same. I raise heritage (pure) Rhode Island Reds for showing at poultry shows and mine don't usually start laying nearly as early as Production (hatchery) Rhode Island Reds.
One of my champion females

I do not use light. My pullets came into lay this week at decreased daylight hours without use of light. I go with Mother Nature as they may need the rest for preparing for winter with new feathering and first year juvenile molt and following every year after annual adult molts. Scratch grains is an adult treat and not for chickens under 28 weeks. Would limit as treat to 10% or less of diet if over that age group.

My pullets usually will start to lay when they are ready whether there is added light or not.