How long should the lamp on at night?

[Kuangmao]

I have a 125w lamp in the coop. Turn on around 5pm when sun set. And how long should I leave it on?
I have a WiFi switch. Should I set up automatic on and off for how many hours?
Thank you

 

[AlleysChicks]

Is it for heat or added light to induce laying? I believe you need 12 or 14 hrs of light for laying.

 

[jthornton]

What are you trying to do with the lamp?

Put your location in your profile so it's always there...

JT

 

[Kuangmao]

What are you trying to do with the lamp?

Put your location in your profile so it's always there...

JT

Just light not for heat

 

[RoosterML]

I have a 125w lamp in the coop. Turn on around 5pm when sun set. And how long should I leave it on?
I have a WiFi switch. Should I set up automatic on and off for how many hours?
Thank you

I would not add any extra lighting time at night. You may cause other issues by all of a sudden everything going dark on the birds and they can't see well at night. Allow them to go roost with normal sunset.
Add the extra lighting time in the morning only.
I am currently doing 12 hours. I do have my lights set on a timer.

 

[Folly's place]

For egg laying, fourteen to sixteen hours of light daily are needed. Have the light (could be lower wattage) on a timer, starting at 3am or 4am and off at 8am every day. The birds will need food and water available then too. Having a light go out suddenly at night is definitely not better!
Mary

 

[EggWalrus]

That's some pretty good advise from everyone. It's always better to wake them up with supplimental light, than leave them fumbling around in the dark when the light just goes off suddenly.

 

[jthornton]

When the lights go out there is no fumbling around they just sit down as they can not see in the dark... I've watched it on camera so I know for sure what happens when the light goes out.

JT

 

[Howard E]

Commercial layer houses might use artificial light, as they are dark nasty places to begin with. But I'm not sure most backyard flocks do. We are down to about 11 hours of dawn to dusk light and my birds ares still laying with no letup. In years past, that has continued through winter, even when daylight hours shrink even further. But my birds are in a wide open Woods house, with an abundance of natural light.

In the natural course of things, if there isn't enough light to keep them going, that likely also means it is cold outside anyway, and their main job is get through the cold weather in good shape, and if that means a few less eggs, then so be it. They will emerge on the other side in much better shape to take off when the days start getting longer.

Even in the far northern climates, wild birds seem to make it with short days, long nights and cold temps. Your birds will too if you give them a chance. If the house you are keeping them in is dark.......lacks natural light from windows, etc........and closed up and poorly ventilated..........that is a handicap you have placed on them that will be hard to overcome.

 

[GC-Raptor]

If you turn off the lights and lockup the coop in person, you certainly can have the lights on after sunset. My new coop has two small windows on one wall facing east. It's dark in there most of the day. I keep a LED light on from 5am till after sunset.
When I went out to lockup last night two pullets were on the floor, five were on the roost. I turned off the bright light and the nightlight turns on. They jumped up onto the roost and I turned off the nightlight. My first Flock had a bully that would peck the others when I left the nightlight on all night. So I shut off the nightlight when I lockup both coops for the night. GC