Backyard Pole Light

[MarkJr]

My yard light is about 50’ away from my coop. Same approximate height. I don’t have any window openings on the yard light side of the coop. The vent holes are up high by the eaves. My chickens have zero problems.

 

[MarkJr]

Yard light is straight out from run opening. The door side gets full light at night.

 

[aart]

I can block/shade out the vents but aren't they be needed for the heat of the summer? Temps in my area can easily hit 100F in August. I can also build it without ventilation but I feel like that is a very bad idea.

I'm assuming you already have your coop...and could take a pic of coop and pole??
Window awnings might work, would proved shade during the day too.

 

[Tonyroo]

Build an angled awning for the ventilation, that would block the light. Just a thought.

 

[3KillerBs]

Thank you all for the replies. I will attempt to clarify my situation.

I live in a very rural area in the Midwest and have a common rural electric pole light in the middle of my back yard. It is 20 feet up on a pole and shines all over my property at night. I can not shut it off manually and I do not want to remove it since it's for security. Nearly every home in my area has one or two on their property. I guess they would be similar to a city street light if it was up high enough. I found a picture (not mine but very similar) and will attach it.

There isn't really a good spot I can move it to avoid this light. The only side of my house it doesn't hit is the garage and of course I can't block that.

I am planning on getting a dozen chickens next spring and the coop I plan to build will let *some* light in though the ventilation at the top under the roof. I doubt it will be like daylight inside but it definitely will not be dark.

I am still learning and not anywhere near a chicken expert so I thought I would ask if this will stress out the birds. I am not sure if they need complete darkness at night.

I can block/shade out the vents but aren't they be needed for the heat of the summer? Temps in my area can easily hit 100F in August. I can also build it without ventilation but I feel like that is a very bad idea.

So I found this forum and thought I would ask to get ideas or suggestions. Thank you all again.

My in-town coop had streetlights not too far away and the chickens didn't seem to mind, though my rooster did sometimes crow in the middle of the night. Which they do for whatever reasons occur to them anyway.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I had one of those in Arkansas. Security lights are pretty common in the country, especially if you are going to be walking outside in the dark when feeding livestock. Mine came on at dusk by a sensor. The previous owner installed it for his horses. People in the cities often have this type of thing with streetlights or security lights. This situation is not that unusual.

How far away will your coop and run be? Mine was about 100 feet away. The further away the less bright it will be. Chickens need a certain amount of dark downtime each night but chickens evolved to sleep in trees. Some nights can be pretty bright with a full moon.

You need some light during the day so the chickens can see what they are doing in the coop. If it is a walk-in coop you need to see by natural light during the day. So a window is a good idea. My one window mostly faced that light, The roost ran by that window. That area by the window was where the chickens at the top of the pecking order wanted to sleep.

I think it is a good question but it probably isn't much of an issue. If you put your window(s) on the far side of the coop it sure won't be.

 

[Ann With A Plan]

I thought it was one of those in-the-yard lights rather than an on-the-street light but re-reading I see that the OP didn't specify the location.

The title says backyard pole light. I have one in my backyard and when my coop was closer it did shine in some, although they didn't seem to mind. But now that it's farther away it doesn't shine directly in there and I have a tarp up on that side of the canopy in front of the coop that helps block it even more.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Those rural light poles - I had to sign a waiver so they wouldn't install one on my property when they brought power on to my acreage.

My suspicion is that it won't be an issue - or any particular benefit - assuming your coop isn't directly below it, but to the extent you can "wall off" the side towards the light, it seems prudent to do so. I've left some of my acres "au natural" between my place and my neighbor's pole, so we don't have to suffer its light pollution. GOOD LUCK!

 

[3KillerBs]

Those rural light poles - I had to sign a waiver so they wouldn't install one on my property when they brought power on to my acreage.

So there is someone else in the world who lives in the country to get away from streetlights and refuses to have any light on the property that can't be turned off.

 

[aart]

So there is someone else in the world who lives in the country to get away from streetlights and refuses to have any light on the property that can't be turned off.

Raises hand!
Was one of the best things about moving away from the city....and having no nearby neighbors. There was a motion detector flood light in my backyard, I disabled the motion sensor.