light faux pas

[pysankigirl]

I was concerned about my chickens because it suddenly got really friggin cold last week.
So without really thinking it through, I started leaving the light on all night to maybe help with the temperature.
now that the tems ar back to normal, what is going to happen if I turn it off again? will they stop laying and start molting? it has only been a week. but I have some orders for eggs that I want to get out...

 

[arlock]

Are you talking about heat lamps or just normal incandescent light bulbs?

 

[pysankigirl]

incandescent bulbs...was worried about heat lamps and fire.

 

[arlock]

I wouldn't think that an incandescent bulb would add THAT much heat ( I guess it depends on the size of the enclosure). If it is supplying appreciable heat, raise it few inches each day and then it's not a sudden change for them in temp. Or if the bulbs are not moveable, and there is more than one, just unscrew (not all the way out, just enough so that it shuts off) a couple now, and then over an appropriate time period take care of the rest.

 

[pysankigirl]

not worried about the temp at this point. worried that I'd be suddenly cutting their daylight down from 24 hours a day to ...what is it now? 8 hours? and that they'd stop laying and start to moult or somethign, thinking it was autumn....LOL

 

[arlock]

OH. I'm sorry. I assumed when you talked about cold.........My Bad. Too much light is bad. http://www.westernfarmcenter.com/raising-the-home-flock.htm You need to cut them back to about 16 hours of light per day. Whether you should cut them back gradually or immediately, I don't know.

 

[jdywntr]

At a week, I wouldn't worry about it. Maybe cut it back, not really slowly.