Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[TwoCrows]

One of my Australorp Cockerels. He was Reserve Grand Champ of one of the shows in Baton Rouge and Grand Champ of one of the shows in Pensacola this past weekend.

Absolutely Gorgeous!

 

[NanaKat]

Great Australorp cock ...congratulations.

 

[desertmarcy]

Key to winter laying is pullets that come into lay in sept or so right before the days start getting shorter. Or just use lights. Poultry keepers have known that lights are important for consistent laying for well over a century now. Why make life harder on yourself?

I am in the process of getting my pens set up with lights. It is a process with so many pens. Can someone tell me what is the minimum # of lumens (or watts) needed for this? I am planning on using compact fluorescents since the LEDs are still too expensive and was thinking 100 watt equivalent, but perhaps I don't need that much? I ordered the reflective shields so I can direct the light better and will put them over the roost in each pen. Thanks for your help.

 

[har]

Some time ago I read about this guy that did a experiment with the amount of light needed for chickens to keep on laying. This was a very long time ago but he maintained that just a single candle in the same room with the chickens was enough light for them. Just enough for the chickens to look at and be able to see it.

FYI

Scott

 

[ronniewayne]

I am in the process of getting my pens set up with lights. It is a process with so many pens. Can someone tell me what is the minimum # of lumens (or watts) needed for this? I am planning on using compact fluorescents since the LEDs are still too expensive and was thinking 100 watt equivalent, but perhaps I don't need that much? I ordered the reflective shields so I can direct the light better and will put them over the roost in each pen. Thanks for your help.

I don't know about the compact fluorescents but real fluorescents are not good for chickens because they blink at a very fast rate which really hurts the chickens eyes and causes them a lot of stress. think about when the ballast starts to go out and it slows down enough for you to see. a 25 watt regular blub is plenty for a small area.

 

[desertmarcy]

I don't know about the compact fluorescents but real fluorescents are not good for chickens because they blink at a very fast rate which really hurts the chickens eyes and causes them a lot of stress. think about when the ballast starts to go out and it slows down enough for you to see. a 25 watt regular blub is plenty for a small area.

I used a compact fluorescent in a pen of hatchery layers years ago, can't say I noticed any undue stress. I have two issues: one is, the regular incandescent light bulbs have been phased out, so they are not selling them anymore. Two, I am trying to limit the electricity used and have 12 bulbs I need to set up. If the LEDs weren't so expensive, I'd go that route.

 

[BGMatt]

I am in the process of getting my pens set up with lights. It is a process with so many pens. Can someone tell me what is the minimum # of lumens (or watts) needed for this? I am planning on using compact fluorescents since the LEDs are still too expensive and was thinking 100 watt equivalent, but perhaps I don't need that much? I ordered the reflective shields so I can direct the light better and will put them over the roost in each pen. Thanks for your help.

Old rule of thumb was "enough to read a newspaper by" I wouldn't use the reflectors because then they can just sleep elsewhere and not be affected by light. I'd use incandescent (if you can find them before they're banned) or LED, fluorescent may not come on instantly in the cold and therefore not give the amount of light you thought you were giving.

 

[brahmabreeder]

Old rule of thumb was "enough to read a newspaper by" I wouldn't use the reflectors because then they can just sleep elsewhere and not be affected by light. I'd use incandescent (if you can find them before they're banned) or LED, fluorescent may not come on instantly in the cold and therefore not give the amount of light you thought you were giving.

X2 that's exactly what I go by and I'm getting a lot of eggs. Still getting my broken eggs but I bought a vitamin and electrolyte pack so I should be able to tell in a week or two if a vitamin deficiency has been causing this.

 

[hellbender]

X2 that's exactly what I go by and I'm getting a lot of eggs. Still getting my broken eggs but I bought a vitamin and electrolyte pack so I should be able to tell in a week or two if a vitamin deficiency has been causing this.

Sounds like you might need calcium....Do you provide oyster shells? I do not but They get calcium a'plenty in their diet.

 

[brahmabreeder]

Yes. The joys of raising chickens.....They've had them for a while now and yet I still get broken eggs. In the past nine days I got nine eggs from the one pen and two from the one that has been laying the eggs with problems. I found an egg this morning that felt like the shell just wasn't hard enough. Soft but there. Doubt a hen purposefully broke it because the yolk was still there and fully intact.https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ke-for-oyster-shell-to-make-my-shells-thicker I can't find the exact thread but in this one Chris09 mentions a phosphorus or vitamin D3 deficiency causing problems. Something about them not being able to absorb the calcium properly.