Is there a downside to putting a light in the coop for the winter months?

[StacyAK]

I'm having have boring day at work and this is keeping me quite entertained!

 

[StacyAK]

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Ok, my 15 chickens are 15 wks. old and I have 7 different breeds.  All, I believe, are pretty cold hardy.....no Silkies or other breeds that may not be able to withstand cold temps as well.  No one is laying eggs yet.

I have read SO MANY different opinions about lighting in the coop.  My main goal is not high egg production.  It is just enjoying raising healthy, happy chickens and being satisfied with whatever amount of eggs we get.  I live in North Carolina and we, of course, do not have the bitter cold temperatures some of you experience.  We have, however, recently had some low 20's at night and are due to have more.  Since the girls are still quite young, I have been leaving the red bulb heat lamp, which hangs (protected) in the center of the 8 X 16ft. "chicken cabin" (not insulated) on all night when the temps are in the 20's. (not if temps are above freezing)  On most nights, because it is above freezing, I have a low watt nightlight that is on all night.  Since their night vision is so poor, I just thought that would help out if they had to get around for some reason and it wouldn't be pitch dark.

I read recently on a blog that chickens need 8 hrs. of darkness and ANY lights left on all night (even a low watt nightlight) can cause reproductive problems in chickens (egg binding, peritonitis, etc.)  I have yet to see where anyone has written their chickens have had serious health problems from a little nightlight or an occasional red bulb heat lamp, so would anyone agree I am ok with what I am doing? Or, am I truly causing future big problems?  If we don't get sub-zero temps, am I silly to have the heat lamp on all night?  Just love my girls and want the best for them.

Thanks Chicken loving Friends

I have a heat bulb going in my coop. It is in an angle light socket pointed away from the roosts so they are not getting direct light at night. Yes, chickens can survive cold temps without heat but I tend to spoil my animals and why should they be without a little warmth if I have the means to provide it?! I saw (I believe on this forum) where someone was talking about reptile lamps that put out heat and not light. I was thinking of looking into one of those so I can turn out the light when I put them to bed and turn on the heat one so they stay toasty

 

[JackE]

Ok, my 15 chickens are 15 wks. old and I have 7 different breeds. All, I believe, are pretty cold hardy.....no Silkies or other breeds that may not be able to withstand cold temps as well. No one is laying eggs yet.

I have read SO MANY different opinions about lighting in the coop. My main goal is not high egg production. It is just enjoying raising healthy, happy chickens and being satisfied with whatever amount of eggs we get. I live in North Carolina and we, of course, do not have the bitter cold temperatures some of you experience. We have, however, recently had some low 20's at night and are due to have more. Since the girls are still quite young, I have been leaving the red bulb heat lamp, which hangs (protected) in the center of the 8 X 16ft. "chicken cabin" (not insulated) on all night when the temps are in the 20's. (not if temps are above freezing) On most nights, because it is above freezing, I have a low watt nightlight that is on all night. Since their night vision is so poor, I just thought that would help out if they had to get around for some reason and it wouldn't be pitch dark.

I read recently on a blog that chickens need 8 hrs. of darkness and ANY lights left on all night (even a low watt nightlight) can cause reproductive problems in chickens (egg binding, peritonitis, etc.) I have yet to see where anyone has written their chickens have had serious health problems from a little nightlight or an occasional red bulb heat lamp, so would anyone agree I am ok with what I am doing? Or, am I truly causing future big problems? If we don't get sub-zero temps, am I silly to have the heat lamp on all night? Just love my girls and want the best for them.

Thanks Chicken loving Friends

If, as you say you are not looking to squeeze more eggs out of the birds, then you should remove the lights. Both the heatlamp and the low wattage one. Chickens don't move around at night, they just sleep. They really don't need the heatlamp. They are old enough to handle the cold. By adding heat, you are not letting them properly acclimatize(Feather out) to the colder weather. You are not doing them any favors. If, for some reason you were to lose the heatlamp, burned out bulb, loss of power, then, the chickens WILL really suffer, needlessly. All you ARE doing, is running up your electric bill, and taking a chance on burning your coop down.

 

[Cheryl1948]

Thanks Jack and Stacy. I see Stacy you live in Alaska. No wonder you use a heat lamp. Brrrrrr Jack, this is good advice and I will take it. Don't want to hinder their growth or their health. We have very few nights in the 20's here. We even had a dusting of snow the other night. Very unusual for Nov. I have noticed on these mornings that were in the 20's, when the automatic door opened and the girls came out, they stayed out quite a while. Seemed to enjoy the cold actually.

Have a good winter!
Cheryl

 

[JesNflock]

Oh StacyAK, tooooo funny! Wish everyone would stop "pecking" at each other and help me with my question. We are all in this together and only want good information.

Wish I could help you out, but I live in FL and am new to the whole chicken thing anyway...sorry. Hopefully someone will give you some good info soon.

 

[Hannahs Hollow]

yes but chickens are not originally from the US, theyre from the tropics i think so its alot warmer. i dont put a light either its just free of drafts. but i feel it wouldnt end to well if they werent housed during low temperatures

There are a lot of chickens from the northern hemisphere. Icelandics come to mind. Also Brahmas handle the cold very nicely. Chickens adapt and the only reason really needed for light is egg production or keeping their day light hours long enough for them to eat and drink or exercise.

I live in Canada and I turn the light, 60 watt bulb on an hour before sun up and turn it of 2 hours after sun down. They get 10 or 12 hours a day that way and are out in the garden or green house for most of it. This also keeps my insulated coop 2 degrees warmer then out doors. If I loose power it won't really affect them either. Its November, 3 degrees and I still get 5 outta 5 eggs from 27 weeks old happy hens.

 

[Hannahs Hollow]

Similar to what someone else earlier in the thread posted, my chicks were not going into the coop at night because it was so dark.  They would sleep whereever the last bit of sunlight was in the run.  I put a 100W red incandescent bulb on a dimmer switch and a timer so that it turns on just before dark each day.  It stays on all night, kinda like a night light so they can see to eat or drink or move to different roost spot.  It then shuts off in the morning after there is natural light in their windows.

Should I not be giving them this light?  Again, I'm not using it for heat or to adjust egg laying schedule, I'm just using it as a night light to get them to go into the coop at night.  With the dimmer installed it is very dimmly lit, like maybe 15 or 20 watts output. 

Thanks for any advice. 

lots of people use a nite lite especially if we don't have a roo to say its bed time!

 

[Going Quackers]

lots of people use a nite lite especially if we don't have a roo to say its bed time!

Why would you need a roo to say it's night? my big hens have never had a roo, they go in very nicely each night at dusk to their coop. We have one flock of silkies with a roo and frankly he's usually THE last to go in the coop.. the girls check in first, probably hoping he won't join.

 

[Tacampbell1973]

I'm having have boring day at work and this is keeping me quite entertained!

 

[Hannahs Hollow]

Why would you need a roo to say it's night? my big hens have never had a roo, they go in very nicely each night at dusk to their coop. We have one flock of silkies with a roo and frankly he's usually THE last to go in the coop.. the girls check in first, probably hoping he won't join.

my hens would be happy to stay in the green house but its not safe for them. its sheltered a little bit warmer than outdoors and lots of roosting places. since I got rid of my nasty roo they just don't seem to want to go in the hen house as much. more often than not I find them sitting outside the window of the lighted coop until one of them gets the bright idea to go towards the light and the rest follow. guess they just got used to the rooster telling them to go to bed and yes he was always the last one in the coop after his ladies