COOP LIGHTING FINISHED! Pic Hvy

[Rhoise]

Tomorrow is officially when the days become shorter than 14 hours here in the North West, so tonight we finished installing the coop lights and hooked them up to a timer...
The girls were quite curious and baffled when it was bed time tonight and the lights were shining bright.....any suggestions or comments on when and how to increase the light as the days get shorter? I was thinking 14 hrs a day from 6am until 8pm, the sun will start setting before 8 pm in a few weeks so should the time be increased in the am, pm or both ends?
Sun rise now is around 6:49 am and sets at 8:49pm so I set the timer to come on at 6 am, that's a few minutes earlier than I usually let them out(6:15 am) before work?
We put up 2 strings of 30W rope lights, I hope It's enough and not too much, it was really bright inside the coop, out side not so much(may add another string), but brighter than this morning at 6:15!

 

[Judy]

I prefer having them come on in the AM only, so they don't suddenly find themselves in the dark. I like them to settle on the roost gradually and with their little squabbles as they do normally. They don't need to be very bright at all. You could save one string for when the other quits.

 

[laturcotte1]

I have a 10x10 coop and have one light that goes on 45 minutes before dusk and out in 30 minutes. I don't have a light on in the am during the nice weather, when its light outside they come out, thats that. Basically the light is to send them to bed. When it is lighter inside than outside they will go to bed and they have 30 minutes to settle down. Somehow they know this. I adjust the timer as the weather changes. Only in the winter months do I have a light on during the day. This is a manual light that I turn on before I go to work and stays on all day because of the dreary days, no sun. Then when I close the doors at night (only in winter) I shut that light off because the timer light has gone on. Sounds like a lot of work but it really isn't, just routine. Train them to what works for you chickens are very adaptable. Light on inside when it is just turning dark, 30 minutes to settle in, lights out. I noticed you have lights outside also, don't need them you want them to go into their coop when it gets dark they won't if it stays light outside. You have a beautiful coop and beautiful birds. They are some luck birds. By the way I love the string lights I just may get those.

 

[bucky52]

nice coop.i have started putting a solar light in the hens coop.just so they can see to get up on the roost.i dont do any light for morning.