Light in coop - required?

[smith2]

Amen!

 

[Superior Chicks]

OH NO! Here I go on my soapbox................................

People! Get a grip!

We are all here because we have the love of our chickens, the safety of our chickens, the etc, etc, etc, of our chickens in common!

There are now over 22,000 members at BYC. That means there are over 22,000 opinions on any given subject-------not to mention 22,000 variables to any situation!

(Falling off now)

Take a good look at your own situation, do searches, research, ask people in your own geographical area, learn-learn-learn!

Then make up your own mind what is best for YOU.

Sorry,

, when you get old and retired you just can't resist sometimes to spew forth with unwanted advise! LOL.........

Time for my medication, and nap.

Ma

 

[digitS']

How much natural light is available at various latitudes in North America, assuming you have a level horizon?

I live at 48°N and looked at latitudes north and south of me and wrote down some numbers using sunrise & sunset information for December 21st . Here's what I came up with:

28°N
• Orlando, Fla.
• Corpus Christi, Texas
10 hours 20 minutes

33°N
• Charleston, SC
• Dallas, Texas
• San Diego, Calif.
10 hours 5 minutes

38°N
• Sacramento, Calif.
• St. Louis, Missouri
• Washington, D.C.
9 hours 27 minutes

43°N
• Boise, Idaho
• Milwaukee, Wis.
• London, Ont., Can
• Manchester, NH
8 hours 56 minutes

48°N
• Victoria, B.C., Can
• Grand Forks, N.D.
8 hours 23 minutes

53°N
• Edmonton, Alb., Can
7 hours 27 minutes

58°N
• Juneau, Alaska
6 hours 23 minutes

65°N
• Fairbanks, Alaska
3 hours 43 minutes

I hope I did the math right.

Steve

 

[luvmygirlsinAK]

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[gritsar]

Quote:
I'm quoting myself here because apparently someone didn't see where I suggested looking at both sides of the issue before deciding on what's best for your situation. I even offered up a thread that discusses both sides as well as offering a suggestion on when it's best to add the light.
Which is more than you can say about the person(s) who basically said "add light! problem solved!"
As for me, I'm not handcuffed. I'm busy taking care of my chickens to the best of my ability and tending to my fiance', who is home sick with pneumonia.

 

[DuckLady]

Please remember the rules here which are posted at the top of the main page.

As stated, there are many members and many opinions. You can agree and disagree, but do it in a way that is not rude or patronizing or inflammatory.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

In other words BE NICE or Terrielacy will sic that duck with the funny looking hat on after you!!

 

[patandchickens]

Man. I think maybe a bunch of *people* here could benefit supplementary lighting, like to cheer up and relax with

LOL

Pat

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

I think one thing that is often overlooked in the lighting issue is that the chickens don't eat in the dark, and a crop will not hold enough to get a bird through the long nights. Chickens are not naturally from the areas that have long dark, nor are the built to with stand cold without constant feed in the gut.

I don't light to just get eggs, I light because I found that my birds do better surviving in the cold if they have a longer day to forage. Adding whole grains to the evening helps too. I'm in Canada so days are shorter than for many of you, and nights colder too.

To say birds do better with or without rest from laying you would have to know what breed hen the person has, and have experience with them. I know my ISA browns often die if they stop laying then start again, as a commercial egg laying breed they are not set up to work that way. Some of my heritage breeds do fine with taking a break, but my Americanas often got eggbound when they started again. This is not a simple question, and management of the birds depends on many variables.

Hope that helps. No one opinion on this is ever going to be right.

 

[luvmygirlsinAK]

Quote:

And to think all I thought I was doing was agreeing with Wayne and Ma! Even made jokes to try to help lighten everyone up, and those were edited too!

Sorry, didn't mean to offend anyone, unfortunately the written word can read differently than what's on the heart! If I did offend, I'm sorry!!

I promise to do better next time!!!