Letting chickens out when using lights

[Lobzi]

Can someone please tell me what molting is? I just did an Internet search using Yahoo and Merriam Webster; although it is discussed... it is not described.

 

[waynesgarden]

Like Twigg, I'm giving my birds a couple of more hours of light in the mornings. This is a new flock, about to lay any day now and I see absolutely no reason to not lengthen the day and let them produce eggs now.

I look at the "poor hens" comment as only the merest of opinion yet offered as intentional and provoking criticism though without the slightest hint of corroberating facts. Hence, not worth wasting any time debating.

My "poor hens" don't seem to be too bewildered at rising earlier with the coop illuminated and the run in darkness. They are scratching around in the litter, eating from the feeder and drinking the fresh water left for them. Hopefully, they are eyeing the nest boxes, getting an idea of what they might use them for.

Since the run has been "predator-proofed," the door to the coop is open and the hens always have access to the outdoors when the sun rises. Like twigg's hens, they use the natural setting of the sun as their signal to hit the roosts.

Maybe the original poster (remember the original post?) could build a small predator-proof run with a small access hole so they can get out and stretch their leg as soon as the sun starts to come up?

Wayne

 

[ravenfeathers]

here's my 2 cents, for what it's worth:

chickens are equatorial birds, tropical beasties. prior to domestication, these birds lived with 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark, always. as someone said upthread, domestication and subsequent selective breeding doesn't change what a chicken is. therefore, providing your hens with 12 hours of light every day, year round actually is a more natural state for them. if i let my hens live with natural winter light, they'd get 7-8 hours per day in the deep of winter. that's not natural for them at all.

it's my opinion that hours exceeding 14 are excessive and unduly hard on the birds. 12-14 (with my own preference on 12) are perfectly adequate for a healthy, happy backyard flock.

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

Everyone is allowed an opinion here folks, without flaming or slaming or the purity of their motives being put to question. Carry on.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Sorry I hadn't gotten back to this thread earlier.

Going back to the OP, I think that if you have the lights come on in the morning, but the door is closed and there is no food and water for the chickens, then they would be more agitated. They will naturally be hungry and wanting food when they wake up.

If you can't rat proof the coop, to allow the chickens food and water in there, then you might want to go without the added lighting.

The other choice would be to extend the day, in the evening, when they have a full crop. You could also leave some food out for them at night. Just enough to keep them busy for a little while, but not enough to leave any leftovers for rodents. Maybe a little treat of scratch.

Our coop has windows. The chickens settle down and go to roost, even when they have a light on in the evenings. I think it's because it gets darker in the coop, as the sun goes down, even though it isn't totally dark. They can still tell a difference. Dimmer lighting would help you with this.

As a parrot owner, I'm familiar with 12 hour days. It's important for parrots to get adequate sleep.

I like having some light on in the coop in the evenings. I like to be able to see on the web cam, that the automatic door closed and that all the chickens are inside. In the most frigid of winters, I like the chickens to be able to eat a little later into the evening, on the shortest and coldest of days. In other years, when I was working full time in the city, it gave me time to get home and do what I needed to do in the coop, without shocking and startling the chickens, turning on the lights. I'm mentioning this, since others have questioned why anyone would have light in the coop.