Do red lamps cause chickens to be stressed in the short winter days?

[rockgirl365]

I have three hens and none of them have started laying eggs yet. They live in a nice big coop with windows. It will be their first winter season coming up. I want to get eggs all year. I have a 660 watt red lamp with a timer on it that will shut it off. However I heard that the lamp can cause the chickens stress. Is that true or just a bunch of BS? I am anxious to know what you guys think about lamps in winter season. I live in Michigan so it's going to get cold. My breeds are two penedesencas and one crested cream legbar.

 

[DobieLover]

I have three hens and none of them have started laying eggs yet. They live in a nice big coop with windows. It will be their first winter season coming up. I want to get eggs all year. I have a 660 watt red lamp with a timer on it that will shut it off. However I heard that the lamp can cause the chickens stress. Is that true or just a bunch of BS? I am anxious to know what you guys think about lamps in winter season. I live in Michigan so it's going to get cold. My breeds are two penedesencas and one crested cream legbar.

You have three pullets.
Pullets will lay during the winter. When hens (female chickens 1 yr and older in age) stop laying in the winter, it is due to shorter days and taking a break to molt their feathers, not the cold temperature.
Heat lamps are not a good idea. A very dry, very well ventilated coop does not need supplemental heat. The chickens provide their own heat with the proper equipment to keep it in and stay warm: feathers.

 

[rockgirl365]

You have three pullets.
Pullets will lay during the winter. When hens (female chickens 1 yr and older in age) stop laying in the winter, it is due to shorter days and taking a break to molt their feathers, not the cold temperature.
Heat lamps are not a good idea. A very dry, very well ventilated coop does not need supplemental heat. The chickens provide their own heat with the proper equipment to keep it in and stay warm: feathers.

I thought they need 14 hour days of light to lay an egg. What about a white light?

 

[DobieLover]

I thought they need 14 hour days of light to lay an egg. What about a white light?

Pullets lay throughout the winter.
For those who use supplemental lighting to increase daylight hours for their hens, they use daylight white light programmed to come on in the morning to extend hours.
I do not do that as the hens need a break from laying as it takes a toll on the body.
This is one of the reasons people add pullets to the flock each spring to keep the eggs coming during the winter.

 

[WindingRoad]

I have three hens and none of them have started laying eggs yet. They live in a nice big coop with windows. It will be their first winter season coming up. I want to get eggs all year. I have a 660 watt red lamp with a timer on it that will shut it off. However I heard that the lamp can cause the chickens stress. Is that true or just a bunch of BS? I am anxious to know what you guys think about lamps in winter season. I live in Michigan so it's going to get cold. My breeds are two penedesencas and one crested cream legbar.

Just last nite on the 11PM news there was a piece about a neighbor rescuing a couple from their burning house. He got in through the garage and yelled to them fire get out!!!! They were in bed at the other end of the house. They couldn't go back out through the garage. Too much fire and smoke. They went out the front door. The camera panned back to the garage and there lie the remains of a chick brooder and a red lamp. The red lamp had fallen and started the fire. Guess you have to decide if you want eggs or fried chicken. just saying.

Dobie lover has your solution. I don't heat or light my coop ( except for a few days when we are having a wicked bad snow storm and wind; I keep the "big doors" closed. Birds run at 106F. I call them my mini heaters. Put your hand under a wing. Nice and warm there. Put your hand under a nesting bird. Kinda warm/hot under there. That's why they can hatch eggs without electricity ( I.e. incubator) and keep the chicks warm.

 

[NatJ]

To increase hours of light, for egg production: white light, not red.

Red lights are for heat, with the red supposed to prevent some problems (like picking) that happen when chickens have too many hours of light.

660 watts definitely would put out a lot of heat. (Is there a typo in there? I've never before heard of a bulb with that many watts.)

In your case, I recommend not using any extra light or extra heat.
Chickens do need light in the daytime so they can see to eat, but you say your coop has windows, so that will probably be enough. If it seems dim in there even with the windows, you could put in one white lightbulb, maybe 40 to 60 watts, on a timer, and set it for about 12 hours--that would be long enough for winter days.

 

[rockgirl365]

To increase hours of light, for egg production: white light, not red.

Red lights are for heat, with the red supposed to prevent some problems (like picking) that happen when chickens have too many hours of light.

660 watts definitely would put out a lot of heat. (Is there a typo in there? I've never before heard of a bulb with that many watts.)

In your case, I recommend not using any extra light or extra heat.
Chickens do need light in the daytime so they can see to eat, but you say your coop has windows, so that will probably be enough. If it seems dim in there even with the windows, you could put in one white lightbulb, maybe 40 to 60 watts, on a timer, and set it for about 12 hours--that would be long enough for winter days.

Do you think a white light would stress them out?

 

[NatJ]

Do you think a white light would stress them out?

If it's just in the daytime, it should be fine.

If you run it all night, then it would stress them no matter what color it is.

Think about the natural conditions--sun comes up in the morning, light all day, goes down in the evening.

Think about what people do in their houses--wake up, turn on lights, keep the lights on or the curtains open all day, turn the lights off at bedtime.

I figure chickens probably do well with the same basic thing we do--light when it's time to be awake, dark when it's time to sleep. But because they cannot use light switches, we have to choose the times for them.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I have three hens and none of them have started laying eggs yet. They live in a nice big coop with windows. It will be their first winter season coming up. I want to get eggs all year. I have a 660 watt red lamp with a timer on it that will shut it off. However I heard that the lamp can cause the chickens stress. Is that true or just a bunch of BS? I am anxious to know what you guys think about lamps in winter season. I live in Michigan so it's going to get cold. My breeds are two penedesencas and one crested cream legbar.

"Nice big coop" means different things to different people.

Is it a walk in?
What are the actual measurements?

As to a red lamp I am on the list of those who do not recommend it.
If power goes out those birds will not be ready for that sudden cold. They will not have acclimated to the cold temps.
A light on all night no matter the color will annoy them and contribute to behavior issues.

The risk of fire is real and not worth any perceived benefit.

 

[aart]

I have three hens and none of them have started laying eggs yet.

How old are your birds, in weeks?

"Nice big coop" means different things to different people.
Is it a walk in?
What are the actual measurements?

Yes, dimensions and pics please.

I live in Michigan

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