Artificial Light????

[mags2009]

Hey All~

I have put the coops light on the last 2 nights, starting at 6:00, as it is starting to get dark here around 6:30, and both nights now as dusk comes, the girls come in and go right up to their roosts. I have been leaving the light on until 8:00, but both nights I peeked into the window to see what they were doing and they were up there sleeping with the light on! How will having this light on help with egg production? They haven't started to lay yet, they will be 20 weeks on Monday.
Thanks!

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

it will help, my birds always go to roost early, the important part of the extra light is consistency, I go with 10 hours of dark and 14 hours of light with a timer, if you us a florescent light get a full spectrum, works better

counted wrong 11,13

 

[blueseal]

the best thing to do is have it come on in the morning around 3am and off at 7am. that way they can roost at dark . thats what i do but mine are all at laying age. i have a bunch that are molting and my egg count went down. so i put a light with timer in the coop its been 3 weeks and no more eggs yet alot of it has to do with the molt. went from a dozen aday to half a dozen a day. i have 23 layers and getting 6-9 eggs aday they range from 6 months to 1.5 yrs old. 3 of the 6 month olds not laying yet. so as you can tell its all a wait and see process.

they say they need 14 hrs of daylight to lay good.

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

do you have any daylight in the coop, my timer run form 5:30 to 9:00 am then from 4:30 to 7:30 pm, so I get 10 hours of dark 14 of light. when daylight saving kicks in I dont touch it. you dont need more than a 40 watt bulb put it close to the feeder. last winter I had a great lay with my birds on this light pattern

 

[mags2009]

Thanks everyone!
I will get a timer, and have the light come on in the morning instead. That seems like the way to go.

GO PACK GO!!!!!!!

 

[Mrs.ChickChick]

We ran electricity to the coop this past Sunday and put a 60 watt bulb in on a timer. It comes on at 3 am and shuts off at 9 am. We got our first egg yesterday!

I know we could have the light shut off sooner, but I figured on those dark, dreary winter mornings, a little extra light (and heat) won't hurt.

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

I found that if you split your light instead of only in the morning, when you stop using it in the spring your birds never notice. I did morning only the first time and when I turned off the light in the spring they stopped laying for awhile because the pattern changed