Help with Eccentric neighbor

[wet hen]

So, reading the other replies I realize how I must have come across...

I realize that I was condescending, and disregarding her past experience. Thinking more, which I realize I should have done before I posted, there are flukes and four birds are not enough to base any opinions on. I apologize to those I may have offended because I know that using lights is an established way of raising chickens, and I did not mean to sound like a know-it-all. In the end, I think I will go with Mrs.K's advice.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

No worries. You know, its hard to type out a post and actually convey what you mean or how you mean it. We can't see each other, so impressions are based on words. But, I would follow Mrs. Ks advice as well. Even if she were mistreating her animals, thats her business (for the most part, unfortunately). As long as you're giving your chickens the best care you can, thats all that matters.

Good luck

 

[NCBantam22]

So your neighbor is a poor chicken keeper because she uses lights?? Sounds like a person who wants eggs & doesn't treat her chickens as "pets" or "babies", nothing wrong with that. Many chickens can also lay soft shelled eggs etc. You have every right not to give her anymore chicks however, so just make up an excuse as mentioned above. Good luck.

No, that's not how lights work, you don't use them in the morning, you use them to extend the day, at the end of the day, which does not stress them

 

[centrarchid]

When I use them it is in the early morning hours. Using them starting at dusk in my setups cause birds to be caught on ground when lights go out which is a stressor if not a depredation risk.

 

[MeepBeep]

 No, that's not how lights work, you don't use them in the morning, you use them to extend the day, at the end of the day, which does not stress them

I fully beg to differ that there is anything wrong with doing lights in the morning, I personally believe supplemental lighting should be used in the morning before sunrise and then the chickens allowed to go out of the coop once the actual sun rises, this allows the normal sunset to dictate their return to the coop and to roost for the night... But either way adding light at the start of the day, the end of the day or at both, it all extends the day...

I constantly adjust the start of my lights based local sunset, and come the short days of winter that pretty much means my lights are coming on at about 2am...

To the OP, although you might not like what she does or what she does is different from your, with the limited information you provided I personally don't see that she is doing anything all that wrong or even wrong at all...

I think people need to take a deep breath and realize that chicken keeping is not black and white (regardless of many claims to the contrary) and realize their way is not the only way...

 

[donrae]

When I tried using lights the first time, years ago, I tried them at night. The chickens still went to bed with the sun, I'd go out and they'd be roosting on the rafter right above the light

. When I did it this time, I set them for am. Beautiful production. I'm now gradually tapering down as the days are getting longer.

 

[NCBantam22]

Maybe I should have worded my post differently, lights that gradually come on in the morning are ok. What the OP was describing sounded like the neighbor was going from pitch black to bright light at 2am, which is unnatural. As for the soft eggs, the neighbor should feed more calcium, and you don't have to give chickens to her, they are yours first.

 

[NCBantam22]

Also what breed does your neighbor have? That might help to solve some of the problems because some chickens are less hardy than others, or simply "wear out" quickly

 

[MeepBeep]

Maybe I should have worded my post differently, lights that gradually come on in the morning are ok. What the OP was describing sounded like the neighbor was going from pitch black to bright light at 2am, which is unnatural.

It might be unatural for lights to flick on but it's not likely to cause any real health issues or other concerns in the grand overall picture as the birds will get used to it in short and it will become normal...

 

[bobbi-j]

Maybe I should have worded my post differently, lights that gradually come on in the morning are ok. What the OP was describing sounded like the neighbor was going from pitch black to bright light at 2am, which is unnatural. As for the soft eggs, the neighbor should feed more calcium, and you don't have to give chickens to her, they are yours first.

It's no more unnatural than the chickens being suddenly plunged into darkness if one has the lights on at night. "Natural" darkness comes gradually, too.