Lighting question, any advice?

[channel12001]

This is my first batch of cornish, I have 20 week old chicks now. They are currently in a brooder with a 100 watt bulb for heat. My plan was to move them to a tractor at about 3 weeks old as long as they are fledged. My question is, do they need a light in the tractor or is the natural day length enough light for them? Once they have feathers i wouldn't think they would need the light for heat. How do you guys do it?

 

[phalenbeck]

Moved mine at about 3 weeks or a bit less. We have 60 nights and 80 days when they went outside to a marginal hoop house. I would likely give them heat at night another week should it be colder/wetter at night.

 

[channel12001]

Moved mine at about 3 weeks or a bit less.  We have 60 nights and 80 days when they went outside to a marginal hoop house.  I would likely give them heat at night another week should it be colder/wetter at night.  

I'm not too concerned with the heat issue. I'm more concerned with do they actually need light at night. Are they any different than layers? Are they ok with less activity during the dark hours? Or do they need light 24/7 or a specific amount of "daylight"?

 

[donrae]

they don't need light at night--no bird does.

 

[phalenbeck]

I never use lights, but understand large scale operations give quite a few hours of light to speed growth, (note understand vs know). Meat birds certainly do not need lights to my experience.

 

[slingshotandLAR]

Ok....

First they don't need heat past 3 weeks, I had some outside in 40° weather with no issues. Just decrease the amount of heat they get in the brooder after the first week until there's no heat the last few days.

Next the reason some commercial operations use lights is to speed growth, this is also used in turkey production. The reason is simple the birds do not eat when it's dark, if they can see they will eat and more hours eating mean bigger birds