Light in coop to extend laying in winter ....

[twentynine]

My experience with lights on chickens--- I always delayed sundown rather than make dawn early. Why? Don't have an answer.
The chickens I have now have only recently began getting supplemental lighting. The first night I went out to check them, dark outside, light on until 2100. Light was on all chickens in the coop and on their roost. No banging, no confusion and no chickens on the floor. Second night the same.
Since that time I have read this thread, so Friday morning I swapped to supplemental light to the AM. Nothing to report yet- I am working nightshift, don't get home before sun up.
Presently I have a 4X8 coop with 10 chickens, maybe 2' of roost rod space per chicken. I am using a simple appliance timer with 2 8w nightlights plugged into it. In S. La. Early morning heat is not needed, in winter we may have 10 nights of 32* or less.

 

[joebryant]

I posted the following earlier on a different post:

My hens were only getting twelve hours of daylight today. They quit laying about a week ago, so I decided to get a timer and increase the light time for them, but I didn't want to be changing it over and over.
I Googled for "sunrise sunset December 21, 2009, Greenwood, Indiana". From there I learned that on the shortest day of the year, December 21:
Sunrise will be 8:01 A.M. (Standard/winter time) in Greenwood, Indiana.
Sunset will be 5:23 i.e., almost 9 1/2 hours, so I had to add 4 1/2 hours of light using a 75-watt bulb.

I set my timer's time to Standard Time even though we are now and will be on Daylight Saving Time until November 1st, and for A.M. the light is to come on at 5:00 A.M. and go off at 8 A.M. For P.M., the light comes on at 4 P.M. and goes off at 7 P.M.

Doing it this way, they should get use to having three extra hours of light in the mornings and three extra hours in the evening making a total of the same, exact 14 hours every day this fall and winter until spring when I will shut it off.

Maybe my young hens will start laying this fall rather than waiting until spring.

EDIT: BTW, I also keep a 15-watt bulb turned on 24/7 so they can still see in the dark to go to roost after the 75-watt bulb suddenly goes out at 7 P.M. It's very dim, but it gives just enough light for them to see the roosts in the 24'x12' area in the barn where they will all be this winter.

 

[rstampa]

All the people I've talked to around here never use any lights. (My girls are not ready to lay yet). And they tell me and I've seen that there is very little if any reduction in the amount of eggs they get per day. Why force nature I say?

 

[newchicksnducks]

Quote:
I read another post where the owner put a second timer for a night light to stay on just 1/2 an hour or so after the main light. Long enough for the hens to find the roost, a bit gradual darkening to simulate a sunset. I'm giving this a try.

 

[Tailfeathers]

I have my timer set to come on at 0430 or 0500 in the morning and then goes off about 0700 if I remember right. It goes on again at 1730 now and off at 2100. I have had no problem at all with my birds finding their way to the roost. The sole exception is those that want to lay on the floor regardless of whether the light is on or off. I go out after the light goes off and put all the birds on the roost. I'm hoping that after awhile they'll get the hang of hopping up there themselves and those that want to spend the night in the nesting box will learn they can't.

I went to a timer for the primary reason of saving on the electric bill. Prior to the timer the light was on 24-7. Again, no problems whatsoever with that. The birds get plenty of sleep. Ever see a bird asleep in the middle of the day during the summer? The notion that they can't get rest without darkness is just not something I believe is true.

The second reason I went to a timer is to keep the stupid birds out of the nesting boxes and to keep my eggs clean.

God Bless,

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Well yes, but also you live in Florida where you do not GET particularly short days. Things are different up north

Pat, not especially far north, where we get only about 8-9 (I forget) hours of daylight in December, less if it's cloudy which it usually is that time of year. Although, I don't provide supplemental light, I just make do with few eggs for a few months.

 

[77horses]

We have ours on all the time, day and night, to keep the water from freezing and so they can see in the night to walk around, get food/water, lay eggs, etc. But it's only aimed at the nest boxes and waterer, that way it's dimmer near the perches/sleeping area if they want to go to sleep.

 

[Akane]

Northern US and above is entirely different from southern US. We get such short days in the winter I would think it might even have negative health benefits not to provide light. Many people get depressive and sleep disorders here if they are not exposed to enough extra light. Animals can suffer the same effects. We just don't see it because they can't tell us their mood.

 

[fowlgirl]

So far,here in Portland,Ore.,Its light at 7,dark at 5,so i have my coop light come on at 3am,off at 8am so they go to bed with natural light. I also put in a cabbage ball hanging from a perch ,they like to jump and peck at it so they have entertainment till it gets light outside.It hasnt done much for egg production tho,hopefully soon.

 

[Mahonri]

For over a year now I've had a light in my coop that goes on at 6AM and goes off at 8PM.

I also have two pens with layers where neither one has a light.

Both of the pens without the light are laying more than in the coop where there is a light.

Go figure.