Light 24 hours a day

[Ema]

well for me, I know my hens begin their laying process around 6 am and they are done by 8 am. I collect the eggs at exactly 8:05 every single morning and they are still warm. Except for today, which I was at the hospital from 6 am till 2pm by the time I got around to getting them they were all frozen so I cooked them up and fed them right back to them.

As far as my water goes, I did some experimenting and finally found something that works for me. Some people buy heated dog water bowls or heated chicken water bases or they build them. I at the time couldn't afford the 80 dollars for the heated water base and then a new waterer. so I used what I had around the house.

Dh had a portable propane BBQ he bought at walmart this past summer while out on the road with his company, its about 1foot wide and 2 feet long. I took the heating element out and the inside racks out. I then took an old small desk lamp that was buried in a closet, the ones with the swivel heads you can find at walmart for 10 bucks, and took the shade off and the base off and was left with the bulb casing, the bulb and the wire with the plug. I took the bulb off and inserted the bulb base into the hole where the heating element of the BBQ originally was. I then screwed the bulb back on and attached in place. I put the BBQ lid back on and locked it.

I then took a 5 gallon dog waterer, the ones you can buy at walmart that look like a water cooler, I had a spare one laying about. I then put that on top of the BBQ and waited to see what would happen, would the plastic get too hot and melt, or would it do nothing at all? well 6 hours indoors right on my floor, no issues, water was warm.

I then placed it outside on my door step in the snow, with a grocery cooler bag on the top of the water cooler part. the heat from the bulb melted the snow around the BBQ and while the water was cool it did not freeze and it was outside all night long.

the next day I brought it in the coop and I have not had frozen water at all since, and we hit -30F here for one week straight and no frozen water.

Ema

I have pics, I will upload to my page in the next day or so and send you a link so you can see. it was easy to build btw and quick.

 

[Jennilynne]

that much light is really bad for chickens to be honest with you. It messes up their internal clocks and could lead to laying issues and health problems. think of it this way could you sleep if your lights were on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year? more than likely you might get a bit of rest due to being real tired but eventually you would suffer the consequences of not being properly rested.

Some people provide anywhere from 12 to 16 hours of light on a timer and then darkness so the chickens can rest accordingly but usually this is only during the wintering months. You will get a lot of different responses over lighting a coop from different BYC members, Opinions vary quite a bit. But in all Chickens do require a certain amount of light, now it all depends on how, when and for how long you want to provide this for them, naturally or artificially. I did a lot of research about lighting and in the end I came up with my own answer from what most experienced people did. 14 hours or either natural or artificial and then darkness.

I have a light in the barn because its quite dark and with all the snow we have gotten, and will still get the run is tarped so they have a light on a timer which goes on at 530 am and off at 7pm. during spring, summer and fall, I do not provide light because the days are longer and they get plenty of natural daylight.

I hope this helps,

Ema

by the way,

and about heating, my chickens are in the barn which is not insulated and its been in the mid neg. teens F here in northern ontario. If fully feathered they should be just fine

I have young chicks and 1 is a young rooster 11 to 18 days old. I want to make sure their warm but I also think 24-7 light is unhealthy. Should I get a heater in their coop for night time and keep the red light for day time?

 

[rosemarythyme]

I have young chicks and 1 is a young rooster 11 to 18 days old. I want to make sure their warm but I also think 24-7 light is unhealthy. Should I get a heater in their coop for night time and keep the red light for day time?

For chicks I'd provide heat in whatever way is convenient for you. If you provide a heat plate or heat pad, a heat bulb is completely unnecessary.

If you opt for a heat lamp they'll only need it for a few more weeks anyhow and after that they can transition to a true day/night cycles.

 

[aart]

I have young chicks and 1 is a young rooster 11 to 18 days old. I want to make sure their warm but I also think 24-7 light is unhealthy. Should I get a heater in their coop for night time and keep the red light for day time?

How have you been heating them so far?
Did you get them as days olds?
Are they in the coop or your house?

For chicks I'd provide heat in whatever way is convenient for you. If you provide a heat plate or heat pad, a heat bulb is completely unnecessary.

If you opt for a heat lamp they'll only need it for a few more weeks anyhow and after that they can transition to a true day/night cycles.

Ditto Dat!
This is how I heat my chicks:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/pseudo-brooder-heater-plate.67729/

Welcome to BYC! @Jennilynne
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[Jennilynne]

We live in El Dorado County where once upon a time we had winter? this year however it seems to have passed us by but still gets down into the thirties and we have a few flurries now and then. they are in a very heavily built chicken condo. Hahaha with the red heat lamp twenty-four hours a day and they are 12 and 19 days old now I got them at 2 days old. I do have a rooster and I really don't want that poor thing confused about day and night I really like him to sleep all night

 

[Jennilynne]

Thanks for the info everyone