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

[Gargoyle]

The chicken chick just has a blog post about this, with consultation from a actual avian vet.

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/09/supplemental-light-in-coop-why-how.html

That led to another link with very interesting info- fluorescent lights are not good for chickens.
http://mikethechickenvet.wordpress.com/2012/03/30/chicken-vision/
There I read:
"Fluorescent lights flicker on and off at a rate above what we can see….you notice it on old fluorescent tubes that are dying….the flicker rate slows down and we can see it. It is exceptionally annoying. Birds can see the flicker in many fluorescent lights, especially dimmable ones that are at lower intensity. It would be like being in a dance club with strobe lights on…..all the time….it drives them nuts…literally"

 

[wantedman66]

I have heard that you have to let them acclimate to the weather they live in. I am here in NE Ohio and it gets REALLY cold. I have had hens for years and have never lost any due to cold weather. Their coop is insulated, we have electricity in it just for the automatic door and the electric waterer and a 40 watt bulb for extra light.   They have pine shavings on the floor, roosting poles and nesting boxes.  If you have hearty breeds for your area, there shouldn't be a problem.

Well honestly you wouldn't have to worry about your chickens freezing because with that amount of chickens in that size coop it is plenty warm,chickens give off alot of body heat.

 

[Mazeman]

I only turn on light when temps drop really low or if a storm prevents outdoor time. N Colo.

 

[homeworkin]

Thanks for sharing the Chicken Chick article. I love having the facts when there are so many myths circulating about chickens.

 

[Indigosands]

That led to another link with very interesting info- fluorescent lights are not good for chickens.
http://mikethechickenvet.wordpress.com/2012/03/30/chicken-vision/
There I read:
"Fluorescent lights flicker on and off at a rate above what we can see….you notice it on old fluorescent tubes that are dying….the flicker rate slows down and we can see it. It is exceptionally annoying. Birds can see the flicker in many fluorescent lights, especially dimmable ones that are at lower intensity. It would be like being in a dance club with strobe lights on…..all the time….it drives them nuts…literally"

It is interesting, isn't it! I have had chickens quite some time now and didn't know until just last week that they actually see in infrared AND ultraviolet!

 

[AKchicken1]

It costs money to run lights. Other than that, I have not found a downside. I run lights from 0600 hrs to 2200 hrs daily from mid October through maybe mid April. My hens produce well all winter and like others have mentioned, mine all molt each fall and rest for 4 to 8 weeks. When it gets really cold (20 to 50 below zero), my white light switches to a red light for warmth over night.

 

[guineafowlSA]

Wow, interesting comments. I put lights on at 6am and get about 3 - 4 eggs a day from my 15 mixed heritage hens in winter - I also have a couple of red light heatlamps in the stable on all night when it's well below freezing (I am in Canada) because my rooster has an enormous comb (also coat it in Vaseline) wish I could find heatlamps without light though - my daughter in Australia has them.

 

[Tamara119]

If you have chickens of different ages, especially a bunch of pullets, you'll have a steady supply of eggs in the winter without additional light. During autumn/winter I only see a small drop in production when a few hens are in a full moult. Several hens may have partial moults, but they still lay every second day in the winter. My pullets will lay daily in winter. My biggest drop in production is actually spring, when broodiness kicks in! I'm at 41 S, so my daylight hours are quite short in winter, but I'm never without eggs even though I don't use a light. Young pullets who reach point of lay in autumn are ideal winter layers.

 

[Cindy in PA]

well by light i mean red heat lamps.

i shine them down on their water does the same job as a heated base , just from the top as out here heated bases cost $80

and the ballast and the bulb cost a total of $15

i don't trick them into thinking there is more daylight.

i just in essence heat my coop

makes them happier and reduces loss as last year i had a hen lose all her nails to frostbite

i guess it just depends on where you live, where i live a good storm can kill all your birds in one night if you are not prepared


If you keep a 250 heat lamp on for 12 hours a day, the electric would be $11-12 per month here. The heated base should last years & would actually pay for itself in a few months.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Some university research-backed links for those of you interested in lighting for poultry. Very interesting reads.
http://umaine.edu/publications/2227e/
http://www.sp.uconn.edu/~mdarre/poultrypages/light_inset.html