Anyone tried LED Xmas lights for coop lighting?

[StruckBy]

I've been debating what to do for some outside pen/coop lighting (have a group of ducks who want to sleep on their small pond instead of inside) to try to get my egg production going again. I've been pricing some fancy-smancy (and very expensive) outdoor lights but then I saw the 1/2 off LED Christmas lights and wondered...would they work? I'm thinking about stringing them over the pen like you would in an outdoor patio. It would certainly be prettier than flood lights...and about 1/4 the price. What do you think? Would it make it bright enough for a couple hours in the evening to get the ladies cranking on the eggs again?

 

[GarthRyan]

That's a wonderful idea! Although, I don't have an answer for your question.

 

[chickenfarmer17]

I use the white version in both of my coops (10x12 and 12x12) and they are bright enough that i can see when i have to make runs to the coops at night but dim enough that it don't keep the chickens up and my egg production went up about 1/3. By the way i only used one 100 light strand in each coop. Hope this helps.

 

[JustinaMarie]

I don't see why it wouldn't work I put them in my barn where I keep all the feed and hay I don't have electric yet just an electric cord from my bedroom to the barn it's not that far from my window lol

 

[Mahlzeit]

I don't think it would be a problem. You would just need to dust them off regularly as the inside of coops get pretty dusty.

 

[MoonShadows]

A fiend of mine uses them with good results.

 

[res]

I've been using them in my coop for over a year now. No problems. They are EXTREMELY cheap to operate - I never see a fluctuation in my electric bill when I turn them on.

I was worried about them producing enough heat to be a fire hazard, so I experimented before I hung them. I fished the plug out of the box, and plugged the whole strand in while it was still packaged in it's box. Left it on for 24 hours. No palpable heat emitting from the box - the LED's just don't get hot like other lights. Mine are the tiny LED's - they have a big fake plastic "C9" cover on them to disperse the light.

 

[StruckBy]

Thanks for all the positive replies! Time to go stock up before the shelves are cleaned. Bonus, I think they're up to 70% off now!

 

[appps]

We actually have them in the kids room as a nightlight . Kids have long outgrown that but they are pretty so they are still there. They don't get charged as much on a window as they would in full sun but still last somewhere between 11pm and 1pm before going out.

 

[henless]

Do ya'll get the clear or colored lights?

We would use these when we would go camping. String them up in the trees around the camp. They would give off plenty of light without being bright like a lantern. Our friends used the clear ones and they would attract bugs. We used the multi-colored ones and wouldn't have that problem.