How to light my coop.

[JADe Hatcher]

My chickens have stopped laying and the only thing that is different this winter is that I thinned my flock and took out the light in my coop. Is running an extension cord what I should be doing? I'm in Washington state.

 

[Building Bridges]

I am new here just reading and studying in preparation for my first flock. From what I've read, some people use light to extend the "day" artificially and keep chickens laying longer. Other people recognize that the chickens' response to the shortened day is a natural rhythm....and the time that they take off from laying is a time that their bodies are recuperating. I think chickens that are allowed to follow the natural rhythm may lay for more years. This is an interesting question and one that people have different opinions about.

 

[JADe Hatcher]

I am new here just reading and studying in preparation for my first flock. From what I've read, some people use light to extend the "day" artificially and keep chickens laying longer. Other people recognize that the chickens' response to the shortened day is a natural rhythm....and the time that they take off from laying is a time that their bodies are recuperating. I think chickens that are allowed to follow the natural rhythm may lay for more years. This is an interesting question and one that people have different opinions about.

Thank you for this added info on the topic. It's good to put all views in and make choices accordingly.

 

[Bald Bee Man]

I think you have a few steps here.
1. Getting electricity to your coop
2. Installing your lights safely within the coop, so the chickens cannot accidentally get entangled.
3. Timmers and times.

Let's start with number 1
Running a long lightweight cord is not the best idea.
We need more info on your setup..
How far is the coop from the closest outlet
Is that distance weather protected?

Example
In my case I have a HEAVY DUTY outdoor cord connected to my coop, with a lenght of 15 feet. The cord is 95% covered by my back porch plus attached at the ceiling level. The cord plugs in to a westher proof box on the outside of the coop. Then from that box the coop is wired with plugs. That powers auto door, battery tender and LED lights.
You will want LED due to very little heat and amperage draw.
any pics of your coop also

My chickens have stopped laying and the only thing that is different this winter is that I thinned my flock and took out the light in my coop. Is running an extension cord what I should be doing? I'm in Washington state.

My chickens have stopped laying and the only thing that is different this winter is that I thinned my flock and took out the light in my coop. Is running an extension cord what I should be doing? I'm in Washington state.

 

[Acre4Me]

An extension cord can be fine, but properly rated, of course! Some people use LED Christmas lights rather than a light fixture. If you are building and are adding electric, you can wire it up right.
Here is my electrified coop in the pic. It is helpful to have light in the coop, even if only for humans. We choose to add light on a timer in the fall and winter. Chickens are not going to live long enough to lay the thousands of eggs they already come equipped with, and they molt and take a natural break at that time. Chickens at the equator don't get length of daylight variations, and are fine. But, irregardless, it is a personal choice. FWIW, my heritage breed chickens lay fewer eggs per week through the low light months (even with added light) but they are not production breeds, either.

 

[Bald Bee Man]

My chickens have stopped laying and the only thing that is different this winter is that I thinned my flock and took out the light in my coop. Is running an extension cord what I should be doing? I'm in Washington state.

Maybe first thing you should ask yourself if you want your chickens for production or just what the lay naturally.
Ours are production so we add light in the winter and once they slow way down around 2 years we replace.
If you want them to lay naturally then no light needed.

 

[aart]

and took out the light in my coop.

Well, that would do it.
How were you managing the light previously?