dimming chicken coop timer??

[Stuby05]

I am looking for a timer or some device to put on my fluorescent light that will turn it on at a set time, then dim the lights then shut off. Anyone know if this is possible??

 

[KDK1]

You cannot dim regular fluorescent lights and not real sure about CFLs.

 

[ChickenScratchin]

The CFLs say on the package (at least the ones I've seen, as I checked) that they should not be used with a timer/dimmer.

 

[KDK1]

Quote:
That's what I thought but wasn't 100% sure.

 

[AllClear]

I Just tore out a timer that was in my chicken coop that did almost exactly what you describe, it looked like it shut off 6 of the 8 lights then the last 2 later. It actually controlled 2 lighting circuits. It had a date saying it was installed in 1956! I didn't check to see if it was still working. It was unhooked already, full of rust. The previous Owner had converted it into a Bar! It has chickens in it again now

I'm interested in why the need for a dimmer in a chicken coop. As far as Dimming Flourecent Bulbs automatically i dont think there is a cost effective way of doing it. It can be done but it is specialized and pricey. Personally i would just get 2 timers and wire the lights on 2 circuits. Cheap N Easier than messing around with dimming, shut the main lighting off then kill the lower wattage lights later.
Please post back why you are doing this, I'm curious. They did it back in the 50's with lots of chickens.

 

[KDK1]

Quote:
I would assume that stuby wants to maintain 14 hrs of light during the upcoming shorter days to maximize egg production .

 

[ChicKat]

Quote:
I was going to say two timers, two different lights by AllClear beat me to it.

 

[Stuby05]

I Just tore out a timer that was in my chicken coop that did almost exactly what you describe, it looked like it shut off 6 of the 8 lights then the last 2 later. It actually controlled 2 lighting circuits. It had a date saying it was installed in 1956! I didn't check to see if it was still working. It was unhooked already, full of rust. The previous Owner had converted it into a Bar! It has chickens in it again now smile I'm interested in why the need for a dimmer in a chicken coop. As far as Dimming Flourecent Bulbs automatically i dont think there is a cost effective way of doing it. It can be done but it is specialized and pricey. Personally i would just get 2 timers and wire the lights on 2 circuits. Cheap N Easier than messing around with dimming, shut the main lighting off then kill the lower wattage lights later.
Please post back why you are doing this, I'm curious. They did it back in the 50's with lots of chickens.

I would assume that stuby wants to maintain 14 hrs of light during the upcoming shorter days to maximize egg production .

That is correct I would like to maintain 14 hours of light, and dim just before going off, to simulate the sun setting and giving the hens time to go to the roost before total darkness.​

 

[Texas Willie]

I have two timers on my lights in the coop. One runs three eco-bulbs for the additional light needed. The other one is an eco-bulb, but it is a red one that stays on all night, to provide the girls with some light to see their surroundings. So far, so good. They work like a charm, but I haven't yet adjusted the lights to extend the daylight hours and probably won't until after daylight saving time is over.

The timers I use are digital timers, easy to set start and stop times and they were only about $7.00 each.

TW

 

[rpchris]

There are dimmable fluorescents but they are pretty pricey, around $15 a bulb. You can also set up a dimmable timer if you use something like an X10 module and controller. I do this with many lights around my property.