Lights, Winter and egg laying

[LynneP]

Another way to cope with added light is to offset the light so that it doesn't bother the chickens by being directly over them. Whether a heat lamp or a broad-spectrum light, it's better not to have it directly over the roost. The reason for this is the aggravation factor, and because if birds get cold and combs are in jeapordy they may not feel the heat and can burnm the combs...

You can also use lower wattage.

 

[roosmom]

Just to let everyone know, remember I put the red lite in the coop yesterday.
Well, I got 15 eggs today. Had seventeen yesterday and nine the day before and 4 before that. So obviously no consistency. But last nite was nite one for the red light. How long should I give this experiment? a week? two?
I read thru the posts, I have to disagree with the *not seeing the red spectrum* well. Maybe I read it wrong. BUT, I know that my chickens can see blood. And red, and they absolutely hate yellow.

 

[lesterlu]

in my post, i said that, originally, i thought that they could not see red light, then read in Storeys that they see best in red spectrum light.

from the links that i read (and posted to this topic,) sounds to me like one needs to be careful about changing the colors around. the chickens can get agitated if you revert to white after going red (reversing egg production.) you should read the links and see what your take is on the different information. there is lots of info to wade through! makes my head spin. maybe gritsar's SO should weigh in to this blog with some thoughts.

for me, i am only interested in the natural amount of daylight for my egg layers. so i will probably nix the idea of the red light if it will keep them awake at night. i figure they will lay longer and i plan on keeping mine even after they stop laying.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I've tried to get him to, believe me! I was kinda hoping he'd start surfing BYC and become addicted.

My understanding of it is that chickens absorb light both thru their eyes and thru their skulls. It's not that they can't see the red, it's just absorbed differently? I'm sorry I know absorbed isn't the right word, but maybe you understand what I mean.
Red light works to prevent pecking issues because it makes everything look red, so blood doesn't look any different from anything else.
As I said before they use white light in the commercial laying houses and I know they used to use white light in the broiler houses, but much dimmer.
I should have asked my neighbor when she was here yesterday and will next time I see her. She has a few of the new high-tech commercial houses where everything - lights, temps, fresh air - is all controlled by computer.
I'm with you lesterlu. My chickens are going all natural and it's pitch dark in their coop when I close the shutters at night.

 

[SproutGirl]

According to "Living With Chickens" by Jay Rossier, "Hens need light to produce eggs. Light stimulates the pituitary gland, which stimulates the ovaries and makes for maximum egg production. In the height of summer, nature helps out the chicken farmer with sunlight, but as the number of hours of daylight drops to less than 14 in a day--as it does in some parts of the United States from September or October through April or May--a hen may stop laying altogether. [. . .] For backyard operations, a 40-watt bulb suspended about 7 feet off the floor will provide light of enough intensity to substitute for daylight in a small coop with about 100 square feet of floor space. If your coop is a little bigger, a 60-watt bulb will suffice for 200 square feet."

We have a 60-watt CFL white bulb on a timer giving our birds 15 hours of light each day, and they are laying and behaving just fine!

 

[roosmom]

Yesterday I got 15 eggs. today I got 15 eggs. So far the red does not seem to have an effect on their egg laying. I will continue to monitor and post here to let you know.
The TIMERS are still working fine with the red light bulb. The lights go out at 830 pm.

 

[roosmom]

Today I got 9 eggs in the nests and 2 out in the leaves under the north side of the coop. Still doesnt seem to be a drop in egg production with the red light in the coop on the timer.

timer on - 6:45am
timer off - 8:15am (it turns daylight out at about 8am)

timer on - 5:00pm (sun goes down at about 7:00pm) I checked for
sure lol.
timer off - 8:30pm

 

[cmom]

I leave a Red 11 watt sign light bulb on 24/7. My girls lay good. I don't have any other light for them. I bought it at a lighting store.

 

[All about the EGG]

Sun comes up at 6am. Goes down 515pm. No light in coop. 5 sexlinks, 5 eggs a day. I have a 4x4 Lowes my Little Playhouse. I bought a 25 watt frosted bulb. I was going to point it up for the light affect. Not sure when though. Maybe at 5 am?

 

[roosmom]

All about the Egg, IMO you should have the light come on a 6am. Are you going to be using timer?


I did not want to shock the chickens by waiting until it was dark outside most of the day or waiting to see if they quit laying, before I decided for sure about putting a light in the coop. I wanted the light to be on BEFORE it got dark. I am trying to mimic the daylight hours of about the end of Aug or begining of Sept. So about 13 hrs of daylight.
The reason for the red low watt light......After reading on here that it was better for them I switched from a white lite to a red. The difference in the chickens was amazing. No more bickering, fighting or fussing with that red light on. Just amazing. THey go into the coop calmer, wander around a little and then settle down. The difference is....WOW
I also agree with the people on here that said it was unfair to the hens to make them lay at full speed all the time.
I am just trying to keep the daylight a LITTLE longer than it is in the winter. That way they will still get a good nights sleep.
I will post later today on the amount of eggs I get this afternoon.