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

[4 the Birds]

Egg production and a warming area can be advantages if the lamp is installed properly and used during the cold seasons.

A downside is that many lights are improperly/installed in coops. Lamps too large in very small coops with poor ventilation can cause overheating or stress with birds with direct lighting. Create indirect lighting and plenty of ventilation for fresh air. Energy costs to run a lamp are very small for the average chicken owner.

 

[MyPetNugget]

If you don't leave the light on in the winter then the hens may lay a year or two longer. It's good to let them have their rest during the winter, because laying eggs is very hard and they shouldn't be doing it all through the year. hope this helps

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

If you don't leave the light on in the winter then the hens may lay a year or two longer. It's good to let them have their rest during the winter, because laying eggs is very hard and they shouldn't be doing it all through the year. hope this helps

This depends a lot on your management scenario. Many of us do not keep chickens until the end of their natural life. You're going to get the same total number of eggs over a hen's life whether you light them or not--but you'll get far more of them in the first two/three years if you use lights. Since we sell our hens in their second or third year depending on breed, it makes absolute sense to supplement light.

Also, the "shouldn't be doing it all through the year" is very subjective. I've yet to see an actual research-based article that says this. Chickens evolved in the tropics, where there are more hours of light in the winter. My chickens don't lay eggs all through the year--they moult in the fall and take a break for up to five weeks. That seems like more than enough break time.

 

[Our Roost]

To 4 the birds, first off, your photo shows an extension cord hook up and not a properly wired electrical outlet for safety purposes. Soooo many people look for makeshift alternatives to doing it right. Its a recipe for disaster. Yes you have a cage, but its dangling and hanging against a wall near the floor next to flammables such as hay or straw. Good enough isnt always the answer. Sometimes you need to go beyond keeping it simple. My apologies if your offended.

 

[AKchicken1]

We are pretty lucky up here. We avoid most of the philosophical issues because no lights tends to equal frozen birds.

 

[johnderosa1]

I find the amount of passion some people express against lighting to be fascinating. Its as if 2-3 hours of added light is some hideous torture to the birds. Maybe i am too pragmatic but if you are feeding and housing your birds properly how can normalizing daylight throughout the year be inhumane. Your birds will only lay if they are not stressed and will not exceed their productive capacity just because day lengths are stabilized. My birds are given time to molt and recharge as well as take time off due to broodiness. Every bird varies on egg production so i dont understand why all the fuss. Is it worse to use lights to increase annual egg production in a heritage breed from 150 eggs to 180 eggs or to buy a production hen that lays 250 eggs with no added light... Just sayin

 

[FrogEggs]

The Chicken Chick article explains it very well. If you add supplemental light, it should increase their light to NO MORE than 16 hours a day. They need the 8 hours of dark/rest for health, just like we do. And only add light in the morning, not at night. She uses led rope lights, so no flourescent issues.

We don't heat the coop. I leave the big window on the south open 24/7, just partially closing if a storm is coming, to prevent drafts. But they need ventilation, are perfectly capable of acclimating to whatever temperature, within reason. Choose a bird for your climate. And let nature handle the rest, regarding temperature.

 

[Falcon Chickens]

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.

 

[Tatou]

Lots of good infos indeed but still wondering if I should turn on that red light bulb I bought (thinking that red light would be less aggressive than a white one). Any extra thoughts on that? Right now, I'm also struggling with keeping the water unfrozen in the coop. Our waterer is fixed on the ceiling and has nipple drinkers, so conventional heater where it sits on wont make it, I need a solution for Montreal freezing temp!

 

[Dboohiking]

I agree that my chickens instinctively prefer more light than our pacific NW location provides this time of year, sunrise being after 7am and sunset at 4:30pm- but needs vary according to breed. Most breeds, at least my own that I have researched, prefer 14-16 hours a day to stimulate their pineal gland which regulates egg laying. Anything more than that may be stressful to the bird. The level of light needed is at least 40 watts, but we chose to add just a little bit extra as I personally felt 40 watts was a bit dim as I still have evening chores after 4:30pm.

We personally chose to install a 12V DC power supply for LED light strips. The low voltage means we did not have to run electric to the coop and we avoid fire hazards too. We have a well constructed coop that is draft free and the girls do just fine without heat considering we do not have extreme cold temps to deal with. The 12V also (optionally) runs an Arduino micro controller that is programmed to automatically calculate 14 hours of light a day, which we program for the end of the day. The Arduino can also control an automated door, waterer or feeder, DH is still programming the door. Of course, that part is totally optional!

Here are the lights

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http://goo.gl/4FXNZZ

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And the power supply

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http://goo.gl/3BsKCD

We have had NO issues with feather picking. The girls still have their molt and time off. No risk of fire. The results of the gentle lighting gives us consistent eggs throughout the year without highs or extended lows. They are very happy and healthy and we all prefer their current program to leaving them in the dark for -at its worst in December- almost 16 hours a day!!