Hens Addicted to Light?

[OldGuy43]

This is a little weird. Four days ago I thought I had a predator hanging around in the pasture outside my hen's run, so I set up a 1000 watt work lamp pointing into the pasture and sat up waiting. When nothing showed up I gave up, but decided to leave the light on. At this point I want to emphasize that the light did NOT illuminate any part of their run in any way. It was just as dark in there as ever. They could, of course see the light in the pasture, but they were still in the dark.

The fourth night I decided that it was a false alarm and left the light off. Around 10:00 o'clock in the evening I was in the kitchen (The run is just outside the window) when I heard them softly clucking, something they'd never done at night before. I went out and turned on the light and looked around. Nothing. I left the light on and went into the house. The next day we got only 3 eggs instead of the usual 5. Left the light on and we went back to 5 eggs. I think my hens are addicted to the light.

Any ideas on how to wean them off of it? 1000 watts for about 12 hours is going to be a disaster to my electric bill. I didn't plan on giving them any artificial light at all.

 

[midwestchickenwrangler]

With winter coming, hens need artificial light to keep producing as many eggs as they do in the lighter months. It seems like they got used to the light being left on and continued laying eggs. As far as weaning them off of it, they will get used to anything you do. If you don't want to give them any artificial light during the winter, don't, but you will see a decrease in their egg production.

 

[gritsar]

Turn it off, they'll get over it. My coops are out in the garden space, far away from the house and any of our security lights, so its pitch black out there. They get disturbed if I do turn on a light (such as a flashlight beam).