Lights out or on

[beauh]

With chickens is it good to have lights on in a cage or no lights (not including nite guards..) With lights you have more eggs and the chickens can see a predator if ones in their cage, also a predator can easily see how to get into a cage and where the dinner is. If they live in a shed, they properly would be good with a light. They would be able to jump somewhere the predator can't get, or eat the predator (ferret, weasil, rat) Without a light their would be less eggs, no light to see where a predator is, but a predator would have greater difficulty finding the chickens and seeing if there is chickens in the cage. what do you guys think.

 

[rikithemonk]

Im curious about this also and have been wondeing if I should sky light my coop as it has no windows at all. I found the soda bottle skylight project to be interesting and was toying with the idea of making one. Its basically a old soda bottle filled with water and a little bleach to keep the water clear. The water difuses the light and during the day its as bright as a 100 watt bulb. Thats what they claim any way. Of course it goes dark at night.

 

[beauh]

You coop, looks as if the birds could fly to the beam and stay protected, but do you think chickens stand more of a chance with a light, as it may take longer for a predator to kill, this giving you more time to prepare the barrels. Also with lights, may a predator only take one of your birds.

 

[Mattemma]

I had a light for winter for egg production.I just took it out when I hosed down the coop for spring yesterday.Will put it back in around fall.
I cut holes in the metal shed,and covered them with plexiglass/duct tape to let some light in. I needed the artifical light during winter months.

 

[beauh]

Was just with a farmer expert. Lights on in cages are bad, help see the dinner. Radios work for two days and then the predators go and come again and foxlights and nite guards supposedly work. Need to put up my 1 foxlight and 5 nite guards.

 

[Imp]

Absolutely nothing will help with predator control like a secure coop and run.
Expecting a light, radio or higher roost etc to take its place could be a tragic choice. Any of them are neither good nor bad, they just are, and animals can and will get used to them.

Imp

 

[beauh]

I agree, but even the best coop, will get a predator attack. everybody has a predator attack every six years on average. This is just people as a whole.