Light source for winter months

[Townsend3]

Just curious if any of you use a light source for the winter months to keep egg production while the days are shorter? If so, did you opt for electrical hook up or solar, what kind of lights did you choose and what hours do you have them set to come on and off? Does it matter if they come on early in the morning (4am) and stay on for 14-16 hours or come on later in the morning (7am) and stay on for 14-16 hours?

Ready, Set, Go...

Annette

 

[lindalouly]

I dont supplement light for my flock but I watched some youtube videos of people that do and they all tend to use the solar yard lights around their coops. That way they dont have to run electricity into it.

 

[Bridebeliever]

I have lights in my coop. I hate that it's dark at 4:30 and not light till 8 am! My coop is in a forest area too so that doesn't help, it's darker anyway. I don't keep a schedule I just usually turn their lights off at 7 or 8 pm and I go turn them on whenever I get out there in the morning, usually 8:30am. I have electric in my coop and I use LED lights.

 

[Michael OShay]

Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided to join our flock. I've never used a supplemental light source in my coop but I know people who do. If you are going to use a supplemental light source, you can set a timer to turn it on early in the morning before the sun rises, but make sure that it turns off before the chickens return to the coop at sunset or you'll mess up their roosting cycle. Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Cheers.

 

[drumstick diva]

A con of using supplemental lighting is that chickens that continue laying with no lengthy (winter) rest periods, will run out of eggs sooner. Chickens like women are born with all the ova they will ever produce. When they are gone, they're gone.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[trailrider330]

Welcome to the BYC flock! We are glad you joined us!

I do not have electricity in my coop so I do not use a light.