How to do a light in coop if at all

[rosemarythyme]

Yeah could be, we still have 2 months of pretty dark days, just sucks getting no eggs for like 5 months.
Do you know how much would be worth it? Right now they get maybe 8 hours of daylight (really though it’s way less because that’s the sunset/rise hours but there’s been no sun for weeks just dark cloudy. One sunny day in a month.
if I add 4 hours so it’s 12 hours is that worth it? or just wait until next year to do it?

It doesn't have to be bright and sunny to trigger laying - even with our usually overcast days I have 1 bird that's started up again (honestly wasn't expecting it, but glad to have it). As the daylight hours lengthen I think you'll start getting closer to getting eggs, and not sure if gradually increasing artificial lighting to 12-14 hrs at this point is going to get you there any sooner. But no reason not to try it either.

Best way to get eggs through winter, as aart noted, is to add new chicks every year. That may require cycling out older layers (2+ years) but not sure how you feel about that. Or if you don't want to grow the flock that quickly, my way of handling it is we start slowing down egg usage in August or Sept, and I start hoarding eggs from then on. I'm still sitting on the last dozen or so from last year, so haven't had to buy eggs yet.

 

[aart]

As the daylight hours lengthen I think you'll start getting closer to getting eggs,

Yes, they can detect the lengthening(and shortening) days far sooner than most humans do.

 

[Rbrown369]

It doesn't have to be bright and sunny to trigger laying - even with our usually overcast days I have 1 bird that's started up again (honestly wasn't expecting it, but glad to have it). As the daylight hours lengthen I think you'll start getting closer to getting eggs, and not sure if gradually increasing artificial lighting to 12-14 hrs at this point is going to get you there any sooner. But no reason not to try it either.

Best way to get eggs through winter, as aart noted, is to add new chicks every year. That may require cycling out older layers (2+ years) but not sure how you feel about that. Or if you don't want to grow the flock that quickly, my way of handling it is we start slowing down egg usage in August or Sept, and I start hoarding eggs from then on. I'm still sitting on the last dozen or so from last year, so haven't had to buy eggs yet.

We might start doing that, getting new poults in spring, if I can find any around here. I only can ever find chicks.

 

[Rbrown369]

I could do my own chicks but, I only have one rooster and that would be too much inbreeding if I kept useing the same rooster every year so I’m guessing I would need to replace him I don’t know how other people do that.

 

[LizzzyJo]

You’ve gotten a lot of good info here. My only note would be to warn about fire risk. No one thinks they’re vulnerable to fire until it happens. Coops are dusty, dry places. Light attracts predators as well. The predator proof run shown with a light was a good example of a low risk scenario. A non predator proof run would put the light in the henhouse and that raises fire risk for many people. It also can get the chickens antsy to go outside before they should be out.

 

[Rbrown369]

You’ve gotten a lot of good info here. My only note would be to warn about fire risk. No one thinks they’re vulnerable to fire until it happens. Coops are dusty, dry places. Light attracts predators as well. The predator proof run shown with a light was a good example of a low risk scenario. A non predator proof run would put the light in the henhouse and that raises fire risk for many people. It also can get the chickens antsy to go outside before they should be out.

I think we would only do it in the undercover run that’s right outside the coop and we never used heat because of fire risk, but I thought led like would be less dangerous since there’s no heat.

 

[LizzzyJo]

I think we would only do it in the undercover run that’s right outside the coop and we never used heat because of fire risk, but I thought led like would be less dangerous since there’s no heat.

There’s still an open socket if something gets cracked. I’d get a very indestructible bulb.

 

[Rbrown369]

There’s still an open socket if something gets cracked. I’d get a very indestructible bulb.

The socket is in our shop next door at least so the light corn only is on the run up high.

 

[FunClucks]

I could do my own chicks but, I only have one rooster and that would be too much inbreeding if I kept useing the same rooster every year so I’m guessing I would need to replace him I don’t know how other people do that.

Even if you used just your own rooster, you'd probably get a good few years before you saw any trouble from inbreeding. Plenty of time to source a new rooster. I know it's done commonly to breed flocks to SOP and get colored egg layers, etc.

 

[Rbrown369]

Even if you used just your own rooster, you'd probably get a good few years before you saw any trouble from inbreeding. Plenty of time to source a new rooster. I know it's done commonly to breed flocks to SOP and get colored egg layers, etc.

Good to know! Thanks that’s not too bad then. I have silkies that will raise anything so I can pop eggs under them.