Do you use artificial lighting during the winter?

[3chimama]

Nope, I let my girls rest in the winter....

 

[Judy]

I don't, but I get enough eggs for us without it, and from reading on here, feel there is no problem in increasing their daylight hours, as long as it is turned off so they get dark hours to sleep. Personally I would add it in the AM if I did, because I don't like the idea of their being in the dark suddenly. However, others say it works out fine, they seem to know when to go to roost at night. I don't heat them and would not if I lived up north. I do keep a heat lamp over the waterer on bad nights, though, really for my convenience.

 

[coulter5]

This is my third year with hens.
I have had lights out all along.
As far as egg laying, the type of chicken is important. I had Cochins the first year. Great pets. Not good layers.
If you don't use artificial light expect a drop off in egg production.
Some breeds are not good layers. See Cochins...
Some take 6-9mo to start laying. My latest bunch 2 RIR 2 BR and 2 Araucanas all just started laying recently at about 7mo.
I see no reason to heat a coop for standard birds. I live in New England, and mine have done fine.
I don't use the CFL bulbs because it gets darn cold out there and the constant on/off is not good for those.
I use regular 60W incandescent bulbs.

I don't keep roosters although the thought of getting eggs and hatching then intrigues me.

-coulter5

 

[tammyd57]

Quote:
I don't supplement light for the reasons you state. I've had chickens all my life (doesn't mean I know everything

), and I know that if I want eggs in winter I need to get hens that are good winter layers, like Orpingtons.
Commercial egg layers are given supplemental light and forced to molt by starvation. I have chickens at home because I don't believe in the commercial methods. Therefore I don't copy their methods, and defeat my purpose.

 

[lindseythefork]

I don't. If we didn't live in a place where the climate is consistent year round (Northern California) I would probably stick a heat lamp or something in there but honestly, I'm not going to run a light out there for the sake of a few more eggs. The hens can do what they're going to do and if they feel like laying an egg then so be it.

 

[Cindy in PA]

Quote:
I don't supplement light for the reasons you state. I've had chickens all my life (doesn't mean I know everything

), and I know that if I want eggs in winter I need to get hens that are good winter layers, like Orpingtons.
Commercial egg layers are given supplemental light and forced to molt by starvation. I have chickens at home because I don't believe in the commercial methods. Therefore I don't copy their methods, and defeat my purpose.

Adding light to make 12-16 hours of daylight is hardly copying commercial methods.

 

[coulter5]

Quote:
I agree Cindy. My light is on for about 4 hours. Commercial farms keep the lights on all the time.

I have some pretty happy hens, but they will stop laying altogether if there is no light.

-Mike

 

[woodmort]

Quote:
Very true--commercial operations run lights 24/7. Keeping one's birds on a constant 12-14 hrs of light year around hardly qualifies as cruelty and forced laying. 10 - 12 hours of rest time should be sufficient--in fact, I've noticed my birds even nap during the afternoon most every day regardless of the amount of light.

 

[tammyd57]

Quote:
Very true--commercial operations run lights 24/7. Keeping one's birds on a constant 12-14 hrs of light year around hardly qualifies as cruelty and forced laying. 10 - 12 hours of rest time should be sufficient--in fact, I've noticed my birds even nap during the afternoon most every day regardless of the amount of light.

I don't believe anyone said anything about 'cruelty'.
I simply meant adding light isn't as natural as I'd like my chicken's life to be.

 

[BWKatz]

I only use xmas lights year round. I used them originally to make them more comfortable going into the coop at night and its set to go off an hour later. Really more of a night light . Now I have it coming on at 6am so they are gradually waking up. They seem to like it. At night they hop up all on one roost , huddle together and coo and sing each other to sleep. In the morning thay are ready to start the day and come running out of the coop.