Ideas for "Safer" Lighting in Winter...

[AtholCoop]

I had been wondering if I could use CFL in my coop. I am always confused as to what type of light bulbs are safe in 0 or below 0 temperatures. I will check that out. Thanks!

Fass

The issue with pretty much all bulbs isn't cold, it's wet vs the heat they produce (hot glass cold water). Look around the houses in your area and I guarantee you have every single bulb style ever sold or on the shelf at Home Depot is represented on porches and garages. With the wind at my place it used to be pretty common with the old incandescent style bulbs to lose 2-3 every time it rained and the wind blew. With CFL's I'm getting YEARS instead of months.

I've been using CFL's in my coops for years I've never changed one ,or had one fail. Timer brings the light on a couple hours before sunrise, turns off after sunrise, and comes back on for a few hours before dusk.

 

[fasschicks]

AtholCoop, thank you! This is exactly what I was looking for. I needed a lesson on how light bulbs worked (or didn't work). It all makes perfect sense the way you explained it.

I do like CFL's for the fact that they come on soft for the first couple minutes and brighten more as they "warm up". Kind of like the sun coming up. For me, I have to get over the mental hurdle that they need the heat lamp. In my mind, after changing my bulb from a heat lamp to just a regular light, my birds will be like "who took all the warm covers"?

Now I feel like I can move on to changing that bulb out.

Thanks again for the tutorial, it was extremely helpful!

Fass

 

[Iraqvet05]

How about low voltage incandescent landscape lights or using a 120V to 12V DC converter and using 12V LED bulbs? You can probably pick up a set of landscape lights with a transformer pretty cheap. 12Vs wouldn't pose much of a fire hazard or a shock hazard.

 

[jonadue]

I think just about anything that will give off enough light would work, as long as its safe. Landscape lights seem well suited to the purpose. Its already weather tight, some even come with built in timers. Some can be very bright, probably too bright for supplemental coop lighting. I think its worth considering.

As far as risk of shock or fire, its not the voltage that is of concern, its the current, or amps. DC can be just as dangerous as AC. My opinion is that all forms of electricity should be respected when it comes to potential danger.

 

[MikeMoab]

I'm not sure if I'm just lucky, or if it's becasue my hens are in their first winter (Leghorns).
As of last night, I am still getting 4 to 5 eggs everyday, from 5 hens.
No lights, no heat, and quite honestly, too small of a coop.

The weather in Michigan has been quite a bit colder than normal for this time of year.