Lights in the Coop ?

[cajunlizz]

I have added a 20 Watt Neon Tube light above the nesting box area in one of my coops since the days are getting shorter . Is 20 Watt enough or should it be bigger ?
The roosting area is on opposite side of the coop , BUT all in same room .

 

[debilorrah]

With us it has been trial and error and we wound up with a 60 watt bulb. Then again our chickens are spoiled rotten.

 

[Mahonri]

We have one 60 Watt bulb. It comes on at 6AM and goes of at 8PM.

Our 18 girls are giving us about a dozen eggs a day.

The light sets just above on of the nest boxes on the nest box side of the coop.

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
Lights stay ON for 14 hours ? WHY would you leave the lights on during the daytime ?

How many chickens do you have that are laying ? and what kind ?

 

[debilorrah]

Ours stay on all day too because the hen house is darker this time of year. It hasn't helped I must say....

 

[digitS']

I'm no longer able to open a window in the coop during the day without dropping the temps in there below freezing.

My 11w fluorescent stays on right thru the day (small coop).

What I see is that there's a rule of thumb that if you can read a newspaper, there is enough light. If light is too bright, the chickens may begin feather picking. That may be quite a lot brighter lights than just being able to read, I'd guess.

The size of the light would depend on the size of the coop and how far it is away from the birds. You can imagine how a 20 watt light waaay up in the top of a big, high barn - wouldn't help much.

Steve

 

[PAJerry]

I'm using a 13 watt spiral fluorescent, timed to be on from 3:00 am to 8:00 am. It seems to be working out well, since I get 8 to 9 eggs per day from 10 hens. I would prefer to go to some type of LED to save energy, but the lumens might be too low from what is available.

Feed seems to be a critical item in the winter. I have found that the size of the eggs increases when I feed more greens, which is mostly cabbage and kale at this time of the year. Wheat sprouts are also well liked. The chickens do not appear at all 'rough' even with all the snow and cold temps we are having this year.

 

[Momma_Cluck]

we have 2 red heat lamps (100w each) on all the time in the coop-- (Keeps it 45f with the door open, 60f door closed if outdoor temps are above 10f)

Also run 2- 100w output Compact Florescent bulbs (using only 30w each) on a timer-- on at 7am off at 7pm....

here in Michigan, even on "nice" days it is usually overcast, making it dark in the coop... besides that, it doesn't even get light out until 8am and gets dark shortly after 5pm!!!!

 

[digitS']

I've got you beat on daylight hours, Momma_Cluck!

Sunset is now pre-4pm. It's getting dark by 3:30, unless it snows - then

Albertans and Alaskans and folks CircumPolar? That’s okay – we can feel your pain . . .

Steve

 

[ametauss]

I've got a spiral white light and a red heat light the white light is on from 4am to 8pm and the red light is on all the time for heat...

My question is does the red heat light act as real light thus making the hens think it's daylight all the time???

They're not laying very much. From 9 hens, I sometimes don't get any eggs.

I let them out on the weekends during the day but the rest of the time I keep them in the coop.