Lighting in winter

[PartyOnARoost]

Just naught a new bigger, better coop yesterday... It's expected to be here in 2 to 3 weeks around that. I have 2 chickens and I wanted to know if I should some light like Christmas lights or something like that in their run. I don't want to get heat off of it thoug... Any suggestions?

 

[PartyOnARoost]

Anyone? There's a bunch of users that probably can help just want some opinions

 

[debid]

You want to light their run? Why?

Some folks put supplemental lighting inside the coop and use a timer so that the chickens have the same number of light hours in fall/winter as they do in the summer to keep their birds laying. Is that what you meant?

 

[Jenny1]

I have been thinking about a way to get those little solar garden lights to work in my coop. Maybe drill a hole so teh top (solar) part sticks out and the light part is inside.

 

[canesisters]

I just put up solar 'Christmas lights' last evening.
They were at Big Lots for $15. It's about 15' of the tiny little LED lights with a solar panel and a choice of either a big clip or a ground post. I poked the lights through the hardware cloth around the soft (?) at my coop's roof and ran them around the top of 2 of the inside walls. Then I clipped the panel up under the roof so that it's under the roof but facing the open yard/full sun. The solar panel has a light sensor. The idea is that it will charge all day and at dusk the lights will come on and light up the coop. This might help with 'extending' the hours of light for the girls - but it's purpose is that when I come home after dark I can peek in and check on everyone without having to disturb them by using a flash light. The lights burn for a few hours and then fade out until the next evening after they've charged up again.
If I can get some good picts this weekend, I'll post them.

 

[Tweakster]

Sister Cane,

I luv your idea! Having solar lights on a timer is kinda bad as it doesn't provide a fading dusk that allows the chooks to find their place on the roost before it gets dark. With a timer, it's just SURPRISE! Lights out and you can crawl your way to a safe place.

Using the solar Christmas lights is a great idea as the trickle down lighting at the end of the charge provides then girls plenty of time to get to their roosts and sort out any grievous violations to the pecking order that may have occurred while preparing for nighty-night. Simple yet effective, gotta luv it!

Thanx! I may well use your idea in my coop.

 

[debid]

Sister Cane,

I luv your idea! Having solar lights on a timer is kinda bad as it doesn't provide a fading dusk that allows the chooks to find their place on the roost before it gets dark. With a timer, it's just SURPRISE! Lights out and you can crawl your way to a safe place.

Using the solar Christmas lights is a great idea as the trickle down lighting at the end of the charge provides then girls plenty of time to get to their roosts and sort out any grievous violations to the pecking order that may have occurred while preparing for nighty-night. Simple yet effective, gotta luv it!

Thanx! I may well use your idea in my coop.

I'm pretty sure the folks adding daylight do it by making it light earlier in the morning.

 

[Tweakster]

I'm pretty sure the folks adding daylight do it by making it light earlier in the morning.

If using a timer the answer would need to be yes, in the morning. BOOM! A gazillion watts of good morning shatters the darknes and jolts the fluffy butts back from la-la land. Sister Cane illustrates how it can be done in the evening, annnnd with a bit more gentleness.

I already have low energy diode flood lamps in my coop and run operating off my battery/solar panel controlled through standard wall switches, but I only use these to check on my chooks and fill the water-er/feeder at night when I'm locking up the run, as they free range most days. I have not gone to the expense of installing a timer for these lights so they come on in the morning to extend the chooks daytime. Thanx to Sister Cane, I may not need to go to the expense and bother of putting the flood lamps on a timer, just improvise with an easy hardware upgrade from Big Lots. Simple, effective, and low cost. The low cost part caught my attention, I admit.

Gots ta consider ALL the options!

 

[gram of five]

I want to thank you all for these ideas. I have been trying to figure out how to light the run so that I can go down and feed and check on the girls at 6:30 am before we go off to work. It has been so dark now I can't clean and get around very well. So last night when we got home from work, we strung 200 christmas lights in the run. We set it on a timer so it goes on 1/2 hour before their house lights go on. That way, they get a little hint of light to come out to and then I can go in and take care of business. I love the idea of solar lights, but I need them to be on in the morning also. What a great way to accomodate the girls and help me out too. Thanks for all the great ideas!!