How many hours of daylight do you get?

[the lemon tree]

I'm just wondering, especially for those who choose not to use artifical light in the winter to keep the ladies laying. Here in Colorado Springs, the going rate is about 12. Living in Seattle, I remember it being more like 10.

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

Per this site: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=197&month=9&year=2009&obj=sun&afl=-11&day=1


We have 12 hours right now in Phoenix and get 10 hours on Dec 22, the shortest day of the year.

 

[feathersnuggles]

Hi chickychicky - it's a little less than 12 hours in Seattle right now. Feels like 10 hours, though, b/c these days we have lots of foggy, overcast mornings. The sun often doesn't come out until afternoon. Except today. It was a clear cloudless autumn day! But, by 7:30pm I was watching the sun setting behind the Olympics. Around middle December, we'll be getting about 8 hours of daylight here. And I am going to add a few hours artificial light during the darkest winter months, just to get them up and eating.

(My EE still hasn't laid - has yours?)

 

[tdgill]

how do you guys add your artificial light times....

 

[the lemon tree]

Quote:
No, but my BR finally did two days ago! From the looks of the EEs' combs, it may be awhile

.

 

[crzychknluvr]

Quote:
Not sure if I'm right on this but it's been working. I got a timer. I noticed my babys starting to head for the roost at about 7-7:30 ish thought that was kinda early. I set my timer for the lights to come on at 7 not yet dark outside but the sun deffinitely going down, timer shuts them off at 9:30. thats only about an hour and a half of artificial light. they don't seem to mind and I noticed they stay out later free ranging now.
Thats what I do?

 

[tdgill]

i was under the assumption they needed 14 hours....was thinking to add in morning and at nite with a timer. but if they lay well with less than 14 i should try less first?

 

[the lemon tree]

Quote:
I don't plan on adding light with my chickens, but from what I've read here, it seems like 14 hours of light is sufficient for laying. To do this, you'd have to figure out how many hours you actually get, and then take the difference (from 14) and add those hours in before sunrise. So for example, if I am already getting 12 hours a day and sunrise is as 7am, I'd start the timer at 5am.

 

[feathersnuggles]

Quote:
I haven't started adding it yet, but plan to add in the a.m., a few hours earlier than sunrise, so that the transition is smoother into full daylight. I have heard that adding artificial light after sunset means that, when the light finally turns off, they are in sudden & total darkness. Because they're basically blind in the dark, they may not be able to see to get on the roost, and they could be stressed out by where they have to spend the night when the lights go out. Besides, I have a little "experience" with this...my neighbors time their coop light to turn on after sunset and their flock continues free-ranging outside the coop at night, because of that inside light which illuminates the outside just enough. Last winter a raccoon attacked their flock during one of those evenings, after dark. One of their girls died in the attack. I just think the light on at night is more confusing to the birds.

 

[tdgill]

gotcha! makes sense