I don't want them to be in complete darkness....

[zowieyellowflame]

I have it in my head that if there is some light in the coop all night that my chickens will stand a chance if a predator invades, rather than have them in complete darkness and go into that zombie nighttime defence-less chicken mode...... does anyone think this is right? Last season I put them in the dark, but during the winter I kept a red heat lamp on to keep things warmer. Now I keep on using it on cool nights or if it is warm I use one 60 watt bulb in the corner. I am happy to do this but I am worried about the wasted electricity so I might switch out with a energy efficient white bulb.
My only concern now is that my egg production has really dropped. I have 15 hens that are not boody, that are egg laying age, are various ages. I see possible molting appearance in just 2, the rest are young and look fine. I am down to 5 to 6 eggs a day. Just 2 weeks ago I was getting 11 or 12. Could light at night affect that? I am going to try black oil sunflower seed. The chickens have grit, oyster shell, layer pellets and one or two small scoops of scratch or corn a day. Several times a week we throw in greens (weed clumps) from the garden.
Any tips?

 

[Jen71]

I posted a question the other day about chickens sleeping in the dark.
Someone responded saying that the lights should certainly be off. They sleep a lot better in the dark, they will be well rested when they wake in the morning.
In relation to predators, apparently when chickens are asleep (with or without the light on) they are complete zombies and a quiet predator will sneak up on them anyway.

If your egg production has dropped off, and the lighting is the only thing that has changed, I would certainly be switching the light off. Your girls may just be very tired or stressed from interrupted sleep.

Hopefully this helps and your egg numbers get back to normal quickly.

 

[chickenGRAFFITI]

I keep an infrared light on a very low dimmer over their eating area in case they get hungry at night and want a snack.
It happens.

 

[HorseFeathers]

No lights all night long. It throws off their natural balance and can make them stressed. If you're worries about predators, try one of those motion-activated lights outside your coop.

 

[Chickens-246]

I agree with HorseFeathers.

Keep the lights off, there is no advantage having them on.

 

[HorseFeathers]

Quote:
Well, in winter when light is scarce it can keep up egg production. But for now, there is no use.

 

[Ridgerunner]

If you look through the different egg defects in the Egg Quality Handbook, you can see that several different defects can be caused by too much light.

Egg Quality Handbook
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/ourbooks/1/egg-quality-handbook/

A drop in the amount of light can cause molting, which usually means a big drop in egg production. This link might help you determine if they are actually molting. If they are not now molting but you turn the light off, there is a good chance several of them will.

Mississippi State describes molting
http://msucares.com/poultry/management/poultry_feathers.html

Some people provide about 14 hours of light a day to kleep them laying, but they do need to go through a molt (annually is best) to recharge their system and repair their feathers. If they go too long without molting the average egg production will drop off.

Good luck!!!

 

[Backyard_Chicken_rancher]

Turn off the light and if this doesn't improve the egg laying set traps for mice.
IMHO I belive it to be the light being on, they are egg laying age and it is not winter they are fine without heat and light only in the winter months do you need the light on for egg laying and it needs to be on a timer so it is not on all night a few extra hours is all that is needed have it set to come on at dusk for a few hours or have it come on before sunrise for a few hours but I would do it at night this way before you retire for the night you know the light is off.
this is what I am doing Find out what time the sunrise is along with the sun set (the minute it gets dark) now write that down and that is the time you should set the timer for in the winter this way they really don't know that it is winter time.


Good luck I hope this information has helped you. TURN OUT THE LIGHT!

 

[Imp]

Now for a slightly different view. I've had chickens for years before I found BYC. I was told by an old farmer when I first got them that NO light or 24/7 light was the best. That unless you could guarantee absolutely, perfectly, stable light then 24/7 was the better way to go. So that's what I did. I have a 13watt CFL in a ceramic base, It's been on for about 7 years. I can say that chickens have no problems sleeping with a light. No real decrease in egg production(a slight decrease in the winter). They are not stressed. Have never gotten a weird egg (and I want some), just maybe 3 soft shelled total.
It really comes down to a personal choice and making the decision that works for you. I haven't had to deal with predators, parasites, disease or any of the other calamities that befall other chicken owners. I have no intention of changing anything since it works for me.

Good luck with whatever you decide

Imp

 

[austinhart123]

the best way to keep your birds safe from predators is to give them a predator proof coop to keep them locked in from late afternoon until mid morning (many predators prime hours) and to give them a safe place to range during their daylight hours. if a predator can get in your coop, lighton or not i still think an animal like a cyote or cat can easily capture a chicken (the light just might make the bird more alert and cause more of a struggle) birds need proper daylight AND proper sleep in order to lay healthily.