Can the chickens go with 24 hours/day lighting?

[ChickenCharmer]

When my family goes on vacation, we move all the chickens to the basement, because we don't want to worry about depending on people to shut the chickens up, etc. The chickens stay unattended down there with automatic waterers and a filled feeder for as long as we're on vacation. Since its completely dark, we need lighting. My question is, is it okay for them to be down there with constant light, day and night, for as long as maybe 2 weeks?

 

[babymakes6]

Why not use a timer for the lighting?

 

[ChickenCharmer]

We did that last time, but it's very unreliable. Last time we went, the light just went off and stayed off, for reasons unknown. It completely goes out and stops working if the power goes out once. I'm pretty uneasy using it.

 

[babymakes6]

Can you leave a light on in one part, and off in another part?

 

[Wynette]

Wait - you're going to leave them unattended for two weeks? That sounds like an invitation for disaster. What if they knocked over their water, or ran out of feed? Is there anyone that could at least check on them in the basement for you every few days? Sorry - not trying to sound negative - but this is a bit worrisome...

 

[ginbart]

When Wal Mart had all the Christmas items out they had a timer and they may still carry them. I had to charge it for a day it has a battery in it so if your lights go out the battery will keep it going after the lights come back on. I'm not sure how to explain it. But if you check out the timers there it was $9.95. It was one you had to program so I guess what I'm saying is, it will keep what you programed it for if the lights go out. It doesn't lose it program once the lights go out. So say you want to turn the lights on from 8am to 6pm you would program that in the timer. Now your lights go out, 5 hours later your lights come on. The timer will still be set and the light will still come on at 8am and off at 6pm. Does that make sense?

 

[speckledhen]

It's not the constant light as much as the possibility of them turning over their water or it becoming too fouled to drink...or running out of feed if you miscalculate.

 

[mdbokc]

Use mechanical timers instead programmable ones and power blurps are a non-issue. I would never leave them two weeks w/o someone to look in on them. This is a disaster waiting to happen, imho. But it sounds like you did it before. Good luck.

 

[ChickenCharmer]

Okay, sure and all that, but can someone actually tell me if it's okay for them to be in 24 h/d light? I probably won't end up doing it, but I just want to know.

 

[ChickenCharmer]

Quote:
It is pretty risky, but putting all my trust in a neighbor is even more risky. See, my chickens run around free and then at dusk go into the coop, at which point I (or a neighbor) have to shut the doors against predators. We have predators coming at and occasionally before dusk, so it's imperative that someone is there to shut the doors. If the neighbors come late (very likely) it could be a total disaster, to say nothing of them forgetting to come at all. That, or the chickens stay in a completely predator-proof enclosure with automatic water and plenty of feed. If someone checks on them, they might not close the door properly, and I prefer not to put such risks on an untrustworthy person.