Battery Powered Interior Coop Lighting for Winter?

[jthornton]

I've come to the conclusion after many trials that unless you have hens that are bred for laying eggs every day extra light will do nothing.

JT

 

[Cryss]

I've come to the conclusion after many trials that unless you have hens that are bred for laying eggs every day extra light will do nothing.

JT

I’ve never tried it. My thought is that egg production goes down in the season of short days which coincides with molting season. The birds need the nutrients, usually used for egg production, to stay strong during feather loss as weather cools and to regrow feathers. Yes we can increase nutrients in their feed to help offset this. My mind worries about how uncomfortable it must be to be chilly, have spikey pinfeathers that can be painful, and still have to lay eggs every day. I let nature dictate their cycles. No lights. No electricity except in winter to prevent frozen water. But to each his own.

 

[Alaskan]

My thought is if you are far enough north that you need light for the hens... is it so cold that the batteries will fail?

 

[WIchickMama]

I’ve never tried it. My thought is that egg production goes down in the season of short days which coincides with molting season. The birds need the nutrients, usually used for egg production, to stay strong during feather loss as weather cools and to regrow feathers. Yes we can increase nutrients in their feed to help offset this. My mind worries about how uncomfortable it must be to be chilly, have spikey pinfeathers that can be painful, and still have to lay eggs every day. I let nature dictate their cycles. No lights. No electricity except in winter to prevent frozen water. But to each his own.

Same!!! I use the winter to rest and recoup before spring planting why not let the chickens do the same. We don't have them to give us eggs to survive though, so if someone does they will likely feel different.

 

[aart]

My thought is if you are far enough north that you need light for the hens... is it so cold that the batteries will fail?

Yes, or just not last as long.

 

[Cryss]

Same!!! I use the winter to rest and recoup before spring planting why not let the chickens do the same. We don't have them to give us eggs to survive though, so if someone does they will likely feel different.

I preserve extra eggs for winter. Some I pickle for salads and sandwiches. Some can be frozen in ice cube trays. And some I wash and coat in a thin layer of mineral oil to replace bloom and stack in the fridge remembering which ones are oldest. Rotation, ya know? I do a quick float test before use. (Btw I wash n coat mine because those Marans eggs have extra sticky bloom! It dries really fast. They are covered in bedding and impossible to clean it off without water. You could possibly do without the wash n coat if you don’t have Marans)