Artificial lighting how fast does it work?

[New2chickz]

Hey guys!

So I just read a post on here on the basics of artificial lighting. Great post of why we should and shouldnt.

So this year i have decided to try it. this year I also added ducks lol. Still learning the process with ducks lol. But the general consensus is after I moved into my bigger property the bigger coop is being a little more harmful in the fall than there run down smaller coop from last year. The smaller coop was a coop house with a run that was under it and in front it open on all sides. Right now they have a shed which is a mini house almost with a run blocked off in front of it. (The area is under construction so they currently have smaller than I want)

Anyway I guess the way it faces light is affecting everyone more than last year. And my ducks arent laying yet. Which I found out has to do with lighting as well anyway...with a little research I got myself a timer and two 45 watt lights for their coop. My question after my rant is how do you know it's enough light? I've had it set up for 2 nights now and I havent seen any difference in how many eggs. I've seen everyone get up but some chickens still try to roost. Has anyone done this? Their coop is pretty big do I need to go up in wattage? Or does it take time?

 

[Folly's place]

It doesn't take very much light at all; I have a 40w light in my 24'x14' coop and it's fine. Have it come on at about 3am, and off at 8am every day. It may take two or three weeks to matter to them. If there's a disruption and the light isn't on for a morning or two, they will notice too.
Fourteen to sixteen hours of light per day!
Mary

 

[aart]

So I just read a post on here on the basics of artificial lighting. Great post of why we should and shouldnt.

Can you link that post?

 

[New2chickz]

Oh ok a couple weeks...the night I started to install them everyone was inside getting ready to roost and I turned them on and all the ducks started quacking and most of my chickens started moving again lol. So I thought it was good. I was trying 2 timers 4:30 am to 8 am and then 5 PM to 8 but I've been worried with the late timer they wont be able to roost

But I'll move it today!

 

[New2chickz]

Can you link that post?

Hopefully this works!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/chickens-winter-egg-laying-and-lighting.64477/

 

[Folly's place]

Don't have lighting at roosting time! It needs to start and stop in the morning only!
Mary

 

[New2chickz]

Don't have lighting at roosting time! It needs to start and stop in the morning only!
Mary

oops. I will change it today. I read mixed reviews on extending their day at night so I thought I'd give it a try.

 

[aart]

There's so much conflicting info on winter lighting.
Have read of several folks using light in the evening as well as morning,
birds still go to roost just fine.

That link(thanks) says red light is good, but I've always thought they need whiter/brighter light to stimulate the pineal gland....and a heat lamp certainly should not be used, IMO.(but that'a whole other debate).

I think the spectrum descriptions(yellow-orange-red) are confused with straight red heat lamps.

Do what you want and see how it works.

 

[New2chickz]

I have read in other places chickens dont recognize red as actual daylight. So right now I'm using led to see how it goes.

I've adjusted my timer to 3 am to 830 I think and I put the second timer at like 12 to 330 where alot of my layers end up laying just to help. I've got to clean the green from the window to let more natural light in and eventually next year the run should wrap around the coop so hopefully I wont have to go artificial!

Honestly I dont mind the chickens laying natural in the winter I just want to stimulate my ducks that are laying age already!

Never had a duck egg!

 

[aart]

I've adjusted my timer to 3 am to 830 I think and I put the second timer at like 12 to 330 where alot of my layers end up laying just to help. I've got to clean the green from the window to let more natural light in and eventually next year the run should wrap around the coop so hopefully I wont have to go artificial!

Honestly I dont mind the chickens laying natural in the winter I just want to stimulate my ducks that are laying age already!

Key is the length of daylight hours, they need about 14 hours to stimulate laying, adjust to your local sunset time. Cleaner windows won't work.

Some ducks only lay seasonally. Posting in the Ducks forum might help you there:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/ducks.42/