Lights in the chicken coop

[jomoncon]

I recently received a new chicken-raising book (Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens - good book). In the section concerning lighting, this is what's written:

... should you wind up using fluorescent fixtures, be sure to use warm-wave length lights (that produce an orange or reddish light), since cool-wavelength lights (like those used in offices and households) do not stimulate the hens' reproductive cycle.

And I learned this from using fluorescent lights for plants.
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[Sinfonian]

Interesting. I don't have chickens yet (come on spring!), but have used shop lights for seed starting for a few years. After basic research, I got one daylight bulb an one cool bulb to span almost the entire light spectrum. Getting a daylight CFL makes sense to me, and it'll save on the electric bill. However, as I intend to have the chickens outside most of the day, even in our mild winters, I plan on having my light on in the early morning and evening for a few hours each.

 

[gsim]

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I have a pair of double 48" shop lights. They are turned on in AM when I let the inmates out and scrape the poop boards and fill the feed trough. Otherwise they are never on. I was afraid I would shorten the useful life of my birds if I altered their natural rest pattern given by winter weather. I have a rainy day covered roost outside and I want them on it on rainy days instead of indoors, so that is another reason to leave lights off at most all times.

See 'My BYC Page'

Gerry

 

[bills]

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This is a good point. It's a good idea to have a covered area for them if you want them outside when raining, or on those dark dull winter days. This stops them from hanging inside a lighted coop, pooping all over the place..

If it's lighter outside then in the coop, they will stay outside.

Currently my timer is set to come on (using a 50watt incandescent bulb) at 4am, then shut off at 8am for the day. It then turns the light back on at 5pm, and off again at 8.30pm. I adjust the timer several times, as needed during the year as sunrise/sunset changes, to the point that by mid June I don't need a light at all.

I always do a nightly check on the birds around the lights out time, and have yet to see any caught off the roost. They seem to sense when it's time to head to it. When they first go in to the coop, they spend time at the feeder, or scratching around the floor. I presume they do the same in the am when the lights come on, and until it's light enough outside for them to wander out. I leave the chicken door open, as the smaller covered run is secured. After I have my morning coffee, I open the small run door so, they can access the large run.