Lighting in Duck House

[jackoeVogel23]

My 2 pekins are 2 years old. I have had them since they were ducklings. I have always used a nigh light in their duck house, not for egg production reasons, but just so they could see their water and food at night. My girls lay all year round, but the one hasn't been consistent since last winter, but is happy as a clam. I was just wondering if the night light could be doing more harm than good. I love my ducks as children, so I don't care if they produce enough eggs. Do you think keeping the night light could effect the inconsistency of my one duck? They molt so I know the light all year round does not effect that. Not sure if i should keep the light since they have had it forever, or what.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

My 2 pekins are 2 years old. I have had them since they were ducklings. I have always used a nigh light in their duck house, not for egg production reasons, but just so they could see their water and food at night. My girls lay all year round, but the one hasn't been consistent since last winter, but is happy as a clam. I was just wondering if the night light could be doing more harm than good. I love my ducks as children, so I don't care if they produce enough eggs. Do you think keeping the night light could effect the inconsistency of my one duck? They molt so I know the light all year round does not effect that. Not sure if i should keep the light since they have had it forever, or what.

I have had a solar powered, low wattage light with my Khakis for the last three years. It is only on until the power runs out a few hours after dark. My girls laid the first two winters. The light broke this fall. This winter, they have all stopped laying. So, I would say yes, your light is affecting them.

 

[bluemerle]

Poultry DVM says that hens should have complete darkness at night.

 

[CrystaBub]

I used a night light until recently also - I had a concern about it impacting their molting and egg laying. I got rid of the night light and they are still molting and laying LOL! And they do not cry out b/c they are afraid of the dark like I thought they would

 

[CrystaBub]

Thanks everyone for your imput! Should I gradually get rid of the night light, or just take it away cold turkey lol @cheezenkwackers @bluemerle @CrystaBub

I took it away cold turkey - with no issues - not even any complaining! Good luck!!!

 

[CrystaBub]

I understand. Can't say this would be the case with your ducks, but my ladies continued to lay with no interruption.

 

[jackoeVogel23]

Thanks everyone for your imput! Should I gradually get rid of the night light, or just take it away cold turkey lol @cheezenkwackers @bluemerle @CrystaBub

 

[chickens really]

They are going to be fine without a light. Just remove it..

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Even after four years of having ducks i am not sure weather ducks can see in darkness or if they are as blind as a mole!
My ducks have a duck-house with plenty of packages as nesting boxes, straw, hay, dry leaves, basically a duck's paradise and they have their duck-run, exposed to the elements where they have access to water and food 24x7.
For security reasons i have d2d lights around the house and a work-platform side by side to the duck-house and run, so when they are out in the run, they are in a relatively well lightened environment - think like street-lights.

There were always ducks sleeping in the house and ducks sleeping outside in the run.

Then last fall i covered the wall between the duck-house and my work-platform with a dark tarp for more weather protection and as a result all ducks refused to go into the house that evening. They all slept in the run. Assuming that it was too dark inside the house i installed a night-light inside and next evening order was restored. ¾ of the ducks went inside ¼ slept outside.
The inside of the house is divided into a mud-room (at the entrance), a living-room and two bedrooms, accessible from the living-room. The night-light is installed in the living-room, and brightens up the mud-room as well as one of the bed-rooms. What i have observed - i also have a camera in the duck-house - is that it the ducks are trying to sleep in their preferred darkness-zone. Some always sleep in the very dark bed-room while others prefer to sleep in the brighter living-room.

As for the impact on egg-laying: Early spring is the time when my ducks lay most eggs, they lay far less eggs during the high-summer, when the days are the longest. I doubt that a tiny night-light has any measurable effect on a birds egg-laying cycle. - I also have seen what kind of lights are being used to induce egg laying in egg-factories, those lights are as bright as the sun on a clear day and the hens do not sleep when the artificial light are on.

 

[jackoeVogel23]

I have had a solar powered, low wattage light with my Khakis for the last three years. It is only on until the power runs out a few hours after dark. My girls laid the first two winters. The light broke this fall. This winter, they have all stopped laying. So, I would say yes, your light is affecting them.

I took it away cold turkey - with no issues - not even any complaining! Good luck!!!

I just don't want to upset their reproductive system by taking the light away cold turkey, since the one is a little inconsistent in her egg laying. I just don't want to do any harm by taking it away.