Help me trouble shoot my light issues please!

[chickaboom]

I have some concerns about the light I have rigged up in my coop.
A) The girls HATE it.
B) It doesn't really seem to do much for them
C) How can I do this better?
D) right now we seem to be getting about 10-11 hours of natural light a day and I'm turning the light on at about 6pm in the evening and leaving it on until about 11pm (lamp time and daylight overlap a little). Is this enough?
E) my girls don't seem to want to go in the coop at night with the light on. They'll stay out way past dark if I let them!
F) it's been getting down to about 25-30 at night here in WV.

 

[Beer4myhorses]

I do some extra light myself for now, but do it in the morning. Let them roost in the evening naturally.

As far as the light itself, I'd imagine they will get used to it in time. Depending on how long it's been in there...they may not be used to it yet. I have noticed that my flock HATES change or anything new.

I used a couple strands of rope lights (about 20') and ran it on 3 sides towards the top of the wall inside. I ran the cord out the top and plugged it in outside the coop and put it on a timer to come on at 4-5 in the morning. No dangling cords or wires.

 

[chickaboom]

Rope light is an EXCELLENT idea!!! thank you!

 

[Beer4myhorses]

You are quite welcome.

Good luck!!

 

[jubylives]

Ok here's a question. Why do you have the light in there?

I have lights in my coop mainly for me to see where I am going and also to give them 12+ hours of light as we are not getting that. Rpoe lights work great but are way more expensive to have on then a light bulb. Which by the way I use 40 watt 240volt bulbs. They are a tad more in cost to buy and dimmer and last forever.


Jeremy

 

[chickaboom]

Just for a little heat in the evenings and for the extra light to make up for the lack there of.

 

[patandchickens]

Well, the only possible purpose for the light is to try to coax them to lay more. Which may not be in their best long-term health interests anyhow. If it is not vitally important and isn't actually getting them to lay more, then why not just call it quits?

You do not by any stretch of the imagination need heat for normal chickens if the night temps are only down in the 20s. (Your coop will stay warmer than that even without the light, you know, b/c it is enclosed and b/c of the chickens' body heat. Put a max-min thermometer in there, at roost level, and you will see).

Furthermore even if you did 'need' heat, the evening is not when you would want it anyhow. The COLD part of the night is just before, and around, dawn.

If you want to keep the light on, use a more safely rigged light (a chicken bumping into that cord the wrong way will knock it down into the bedding where, guard or no guard, it may start a fire), a SMALL light (in your size coop, a 25 watt bulb would probably be overkill), and put it on a timer so it comes on a few hours before dawn.

But honestly, how much do you REALLY need those few extra theoretical eggs that lighting isn't even giving you anyhow?

Maybe it is time to listen to what the chickens are trying to tell you...

Good luck,

Pat

 

[LittleChickenRacingTeam]

Quote:
Not always the case. I am using lights till 10 pm to stop my birds from going into a molt. With the shorter days & dropping temps, if I did not add light my chooks would all be dropping feathers. Many breeders & show people use this technique to have well conditioned birds for late fall shows.

I have the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair to attend Nov 11 in Toronto. Since this is the biggest show in Canada, the birds need to be in top condition. After the show I will remove the light & they will go into a molt.

By the way Pat, are you going to the Royal this year??

 

[Chicabee19]

I think they hate it cause it's on in the nighttime. If you put it on in the early a.m., they might love it!

 

[Cuban Longtails]

I'd set it on a timer to come on in the early morning and cut off before the sun sets. That way they aren't suddenly in the dark when the lights go out and they naturally go to roost when they are supposed to. A brooder light (with a smaller wattage bulb) (can also be found in the hardware section at wal-mart, but I forget what they call them there) might be easier to work with than the drop light.