Light in coop - required?

[silkiechicken]

Anywhere from 0 to 4 eggs a day. LOL

You can't really say for sure what they'll do or even if they'll moult at the same time. My black sexlinks moulted about a month ago, and just yesterday my gold sexlink dropped near naked and it looks like an explosion outside.

 

[smith2]

I use artificial light because I have a good set up to do so, and we cannot afford to feed all our chickens if we cannot recoup the food costs by selling the eggs. However, my sex-link chickens layed the first winter without any additional light and did very well (5-6 eggs a week). The second year without light they drop off considerably (2-3 a week) so we increase their light in Sept. and decrease the light in April. They will molt--light or no light--starting in July and ending in September. I cull all my layers after their second year. They just don't lay enough after that to feed them, but they do make great home cooking. I don't keep any for pets mine are all utility birds.

I have done both and just get more eggs when mine get enough light. I also put my light on in the mornings and they go to bed on their own at night.

 

[dancingbear]

Mine slow way down (one year even stopped, but there were feed issues that year) in the fall when they molt. This starts around mid Sept.- early Oct., and egg production is really slow until shortly before Christmas, when it suddenly picks up again. This is also about the time I stop seeing raggedy looking hens, so when they finish growing new feathers, they lay steadily again. This year, I added a light on a timer, to come on at 4 am. This increased the light to a bit over 12 hours, not the 14 that many suggest, but well over the 8 or less they've been getting of natural light. I added this about 3 weeks ago.

Many folks have posted that egg production increased drastically, almost overnight, when they added light. For me, it made no difference at all. Then, about a week ago, just before Christmas, like always, they started laying more again, just like previous years when I didn't add the light. Because I don't want a sudden change to less light, I'm changing the timer gradually until I can shut it off altogether. I'm going to try a different feed formula next year, to see if I can speed up the molt. More protein, more sunflower seeds, some fish pellets, etc.

Molting BTW, IS NOT a "rest period". They are expending a great deal of protein and energy re-growing a new set of feathers, that's why they slow down or stop laying, because it takes a lot out of them. They not only have to grow new feathers, it takes more energy for them to stay warm while they're half-naked.

Our weather here is weird, we have nice balmy spells throughout the winter, interspersed with bitterly cold hard freezes. I don't feel like my chickens really get a chance to become acclimated to severe cold, because the changes are so frequent, and so sudden.

Recently, after several nights of temps above freezing, suddenly one night was 4F. On these bitter cold nights, I leave a high wattage heat bulb on, in a clamp-type lamp that I can aim so it's not blinding the birds on the roosts. I found that if I aim it so the roosts are only dimly lit, and turn the light on a couple of hours before dark, they go on in and settle down as usual. If I forget, and try to turn it on later, they get all freaked out and agitated.

They still get out in the daytime, regardless of the weather, If it's too nasty, they stay inside of their own accord. But they have the option to wander outside if they want, that keeps them from getting agitated from confinement. In bad weather I only open the run-pen doors to give them access to pasture, and they go in and out via the small chicken doors, and I leave the big main door closed, both for warmth and so it doesn't rain into the coop. That way they can still free-range if they want, but the coop stays warmer and dryer. They will play in the snow when the sun comes back out. They even wallow in it and take snow-baths!

We also use an immersible water de-froster (they have them at TSC) in one of those black rubber tubs they sell for horses.

 

[luvmygirlsinAK]

Quote:
Scott, many of us see that as opinion only, often repeated here though scientific research is never cited to substantiate it. It ignores the large areas of the world that has long days all winter long, as if the chicken has been "designed" to suit only the poster's own specific geographic area and the rest of the world does not exist.

If one wants to look to Ma Nature for the "natural" break from laying that she designed into chickens, I would think that we need only to look at the moult for that. Any additional "rest" that a chicken may get due to short winter days is only a matter of where it lives.

As you probably can tell, adding light is a subject of which there are many opinions. You will have to determine what you are comfortable with. I would rely more on scientific data than on those whose whole idea of what is "natural" is based only on what they observe in their northern latitudes, those who will present their ideas of chicken reproductive physiology without offering scientific substantiation or those who will assume some perceived moral high-ground because they don't use artificial light in the winter while those of us that do are "hard-up" for a few eggs or just as bad as factory farms. (Yes, I've heard that from supposed "experts" here and elsewhere.)

As you probably guess, I "extend" my chickens' day for several hours. Is it necessary? No. Does it increase their productivity over the winter? Yes. Is that a bad thing? No. At least no one here is offering any scientific data to prove that it is.

Wayne

Agree with you 100%, Wayne!! Here in Alaska when we only have 3-4 hours of daylight in the winter, unless a person just doesn't have the money to put electricity in the coop, I personally feel that this would be classified as abusive to make them sleep for 20-21 hours. I really wonder if they would be able to even get enough nutrition in their body to keep them alive!

Edited to remove inflammatory remarks

When given the proper nutrition, laying hens can and will be able to produce eggs all winter long without fear of it harming their body.

If I still lived in the state of Washington, I would have supplemental lights on!!

In the summer here, it is daylight all night long-what are we supposed to do, provide curtains for the chickens

Yes, I know that there are those out there who do, that's their choice! Just as it is our choice of what to do with our chickens. My girls are extremely happy and well adjusted with supplemental lighting.

Edited to remove inflammatory remarks

All of us who provide supplemental lighting love our chickens and care for their health just as much as those of you that don't use supplemental lighting!!!!

I guess if I wanted to, I could make a big issue about those who don't give their chickens supplemental herbs, protein, etc, etc, and rant and rave, but that is everyone's choice! Do I think that everyone should use organic feed? Sure, but that is an individual decision. Do I feel that organic feed is important for their health? Absolutely!! But I feel that everyone needs to just do what they feel is best for their chickens, given all the factors involved, money, knowledge, etc,etc.

Edited by staff

 

[dancingbear]

In parts of the world where daylight is extremely short in the winter, or even absent, of course you need additional light. In other areas, such as where I live, it's probably not needed at all. At least, it was no help to my hens.

I don't think most people are saying you're horrible if you add light, or horrible if you don't. Different methods are required in different climates, that's all. What works in Florida isn't practical in Alaska.

I don't buy the idea that hens absolutely have to have 14 hours of light a day in order to lay eggs at all, as I have seen stated. Mine only have that much light at the height of summer, but except for during molt or brooding, they lay about the same all year.

Molting is NOT a rest break. That idea is incorrect. As I said in my earlier post.

If you do need to add light, it's better to do it in the morning than at night. That way they don't get caught off the roosts when the lights go off again.

 

[waynesgarden]

Quote:
Yes, I notice your insistance that a molt (or moult) is not a "rest" but others will disagree.

According to the scientists at the Australian government website "Moulting is the process of shedding and renewing feathers. During the moult the reproductive physiology of the bird is allowed a complete rest from laying and the bird builds up its body reserves of nutrients."

Or "Natural moulting normally occurs once a year in laying hens. During moulting, egg production stops while the hen’s body rests and rebuilds organs and tissues that have been depleted by the load of egg production." (Dr Muhammad Yousaf, Department of Poultry Husbandry, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.)

Or "Good layers will lay for about 50 to 60 weeksand then have a rest period called a molt" according to the University of Florida.

Or "The molt is of particular importance to laying hens. It coincides with the time of year that the hens stop laying eggs and rest for a period that lasts as little as s few weeks and as much as several months." Jay Rossier "Living With Chickens." (Found on my bookshelf.)

Perhaps there's enough opposing viewpoints to the assertion that a molt is not a chicken's "rest period" to warrent its own thread?

Wayne

 

[luvmygirlsinAK]

Quote:
I add supplemental light 14 hours a day. And as many of us have said who do use supplemental light, the red lights come on after the full spectrum lights go out by timer. Then I personally come in and tuck my girls into bed, and shut off the red lights, even though I could just use a timer for the red lights as well. I assure you, those of us who use supplemental lighting love our chickens just as much as those of you who don't use supplemental lighting.

 

[CovenantCreek]

With regards to additional light or not -- I have two coops, one has a light that comes on between 4:00 and 4:30 AM (no extra light at night). The other has no light added, but they are usually woken up when I go out to feed the horses around 5:30 (the roo starts crowing when he hears the garage door open). The 6 girls who sleep in the first coop usually go to bed by 4:15-4:30 PM. The other 6 don't head in until 4:45ish.

I'm getting more eggs per day now than I did when they were out running around until 9:00 PM -- 8-10 now from 12 hens, 5-7 during the summer from 13 hens. I can't really say that the extra light has made the difference......

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:
I add supplemental light 14 hours a day. And as many of us have said who do use supplemental light, the red lights come on after the full spectrum lights go out by timer. Then I personally come in and tuck my girls into bed, and shut off the red lights, even though I could just use a timer for the red lights as well. I assure you, those of us who use supplemental lighting love our chickens just as much as those of you who don't use supplemental lighting.

Good, I'm glad that works well for you. I don't believe I said anything to indicate I didn't think you cared for your chickens.

I was mentioning the timer light in the morning, rather than at night, because a different poster suggested having a timer shut the light off at night, after a few extra hours of light, at night. That would catch the chickens running around, not on the roosts, and leave them in the dark. It had nothing to do with using an additional red light at night.

I stated that I don't need additional light where I am. I also stated that in some places, it is needed. I did not say there anything wrong with using light 14 hours, just that I don't believe it's really necessary. Obviously you feel differently. Fine. If it works for you, and you're happy with it, fine. Do you have a problem with me not using lights as much as you do?

 

[luvmygirlsinAK]

I think anyone should do what they feel is best for their precious sweethearts!

*edited to remove inflammatory remarks*