How much light in winter?

[quailswiss]

I installed a string of 50 warm white LED lights in my small outdoor pen after my hens had stopped laying and started to molt. It's on a timer so that they get light between 8am and 10pm. No sign of eggs yet. Is there any hope they will go back to laying or do I need to put a stronger light in? The footprint of the cage is 2ft by 4ft.

 

[AlienChick]

I, personally would NOT add any add'l light to promote laying while they're molting.
They need all of their energy for producing feathers.
I would, instead, feed them more protein (chick starter or show feed) and boiled egg yolks so they will feather out faster and resume laying sooner.

 

[TweetyNPetey]

I agree with AlienChick.

 

[marksouth]

The question is will the LEDs work anyway. I asked that question and got a couple of different answers. Anyone with success with LEDs? Sure beats stringing a cord all the way to the pen if you can use solar.

 

[James the Bald]

The question is will the LEDs work anyway. I asked that question and got a couple of different answers. Anyone with success with LEDs? Sure beats stringing a cord all the way to the pen if you can use solar.

Why wouldn't it work? A light source is a light source. In some documents I've read, they used "incadescent" light bulbs for artificial light. If it were dark and somebody flipped the light switch, would you not notice the light if it were an LED lamp?

 

[marksouth]

I agree JTB but one answer I got awhile back was they have to have a full spectrum bulb. I'm going LED and we'll see if I get any eggs or not. Hens have just about quit laying and I'm gona give them a little bit of a break.

 

[Apdeb]

I asked our uconn professor who did research on this a 7watt led bulb with timer set to 530 am off at daylight say 7 on again at dusk 500 pm to 730 or 8 pm

 

[quailswiss]

Thanks Apdeb for asking. My lights are 0.215W so definitely not strong enough... Did the professor give his answer for a specific area (for example, per m2 or sq ft?)

 

[Apdeb]

Yes i was asking for one coop about 10 x 12
With about 15 lf in it

 

[GrandmaBird]

the reason for the full spectrum lighting is for health reasons not to get them to lay but to help the hens process the calcium and vitamin D needed to be healthy.