artificial lighting

[usedhobarts]

Hi all, I just wanted to share a simple and inexpensive lighting set up that works great for under 30 dollars.

1 Stanley digital timer. Bought 2 on eBay for 14.99

Stanley 38425 TimerMax Digislim Polarized 1-Outlet Digital Bar Timer, 2-Pack

1 9watt fluorescent bulb and 1 simple metal lamp.

The timer is very simple to use and plugs into any outlet or cord. I'm fortunate to have full power in my coop wired in but an extention cord is just fine also.

The nice thing about these type bulbs is that when it is cold or cooler that come on dim and get brighter as the warm up. So if you want to avoid instant bright light on turn on this is great.

I'm in NW MN and the days are getting shorter. I want to keep my girls on around 15 hours of light. Presently we are down to about 13-14 hours of natural light. My coop is on the west side of the barn so morning light takes longer to get into the coop. I have my timer coming on at 4:00am and off at 8:00am. I will adjust this ( just the on time) as fall and winter progress. By late January my on time will be 2:00am or so as it will be dark and the birds will be roosting by 4:30-5:00 pm.

Hope this maybe will give some other newbies like me some ideas on inexpensive lighting.

 

[iwiw60]

Thanks for the info and the pics! I live in the Pacific Northwest and during the winter months we are lucky to have daylight from around 7-7:30 am til 4 pm max. I've been toying with the idea of artificial light but have been scared to death with the possibility of fire from the light fixture. I'll look into this for sure.

 

[usedhobarts]

Yes, fire hazards are a concern especially in smaller coops. My research tells me its not the amount of light brightness but rather just light. With this in mind I think many coop fires caused by lighting is when people try to kill 2 birds with one stone and use a higher wattage bulb to produce some heat also. These 9 w bulbs don't get hot. They can be on for hours and you can unscrew them without burning your fingers. My coop is a large walkin with cement floors etc. My girls will never get near the light or the outlet so for me a fire hazard is minimal if not nil. I have friend who has a small coop and he uses a similar setup. He has mounted the metal lamp on the outside so his chickens can never touch the bulb or the cords.

I have been getting 85% plus production all summer. 18 hens / 2 Roos and have been getting and average of 16 eggs a day . Since the days have been getting shorter my production has dropped to a gradual low of 12 eggs a day . The July / august heat had some factor but I know the light change affected it more. Since adding the light my production is working its way back to the 16 average.

Good luck with your lighting. I know it has made a difference for me.