Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[Cloverleaf Farm]

I hear ya...I'm going through the same thing with one of my bantam Favs...he has chicks from last year, BUT everything I've put in the bator this year has been DUDS!! He's only 2....

 

[CRYSTALCREEK]

If you go to the ABC forum and search it, you can find topics where they discuss the use of artificial lighting in the winter to keep them fertile. It has something to do with the number of daylight hours they are exposed to. I know in horses that mares will go through a period of "anestrus" (I hope I spelled that right) if they are not put under lights as breeding season approaches. Look at the post by Beth C "Breeding pen size and construction". John Blehm posted pics of his breeding setup that shows what I would think would be very inexpensive use of rope lighting. Of course, those won't work in a flock set up. But if you have electricity in your coop, you could install a timer on your lights so they come on an extra (4?) hours a day until the daylight hours are longer naturally.

Point is, if he was fertile a few months ago, this is probably your culprit. It's an easy fix, but not necessarily an immediate fix.

Cindy

 

[happytxchick]

I keep a light on in the coop for two reasons -- to keep them laying (I know this maybe isn't so great for them, but we have to eat) & to keep the water from freezing (it's a heat lamp close to the waterer). Now, I have a third reason...I never knew that about the light/fertility thing!

 

[ByN8ureHomstead]

I got my first egg. It is greener than I hoped, greener then what they hatched from. My hen is 6 months 7 days old.

 

[ByN8ureHomstead]

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Do you leave it on 24/7?

 

[Goose and Fig]

I have red heat bulbs right above my waterers. They stay on as long as it's below 30 degrees. This past month was the worst electric bill I've ever had for the lights. I guess Mother Nature didn't get the memo that we're not in Cleveland anymore.

But anyway- even with the red light my girls have been laying like crazy. Everything looks fertile, but i won't know for sure for a few more weeks.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

I have electricity issues with this old falling apart farmhouse, but I had ordered 5 sets of solar powered Christmas lights because of that thread on the ABC site showing John's set up...STILL waiting for them...they were supposed to be here by today....

 

[ByN8ureHomstead]

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I have one set in my barn. One puts out enough light that the birds can fly up to their roots and for me to walk around. My lights do not stay on as long as they say.

 

[Goose and Fig]

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What a good idea! Northern Tool has thier solar shed lights on clearance now. I wonder if they'd be too bright though. You might have to face them toward a corner or something.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

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What a good idea! Northern Tool has thier solar shed lights on clearance now. I wonder if they'd be too bright though. You might have to face them toward a corner or something.

Hmmm...might have to look into other options if these darn Christmas lights don't come until spring!

The ones I got are a 50 set strand of the mini LEDs, for my small coops should be adequate (three of them are for small bantam coops attached to runs, and even my 2 "big" coops aren't huge)...if they ever get here...