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- #21
WOW I went home yesterday and gathered 21 eggs. So far so good.
Lights, Winter and egg laying
- Thread starter roosmom
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Roosmom
When did your girls first begin to lay?
I have my coop next a roadway that has construction going on. They erected a bright street light to illuminate the road all night. The light isn't shining directly into the coop so it has the effect of diffused light. I am curious if this will impact the egg laying. They have not begun yet
at 19 weeks.
So like you I am trying to determine if I need supplemental light and what color. Or if I actually need to shutter the windows from the street light at night.
When did your girls first begin to lay?
I have my coop next a roadway that has construction going on. They erected a bright street light to illuminate the road all night. The light isn't shining directly into the coop so it has the effect of diffused light. I am curious if this will impact the egg laying. They have not begun yet
at 19 weeks.
So like you I am trying to determine if I need supplemental light and what color. Or if I actually need to shutter the windows from the street light at night.
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- #23
Sylvie, This is JMO.
If you can, wait to see what effect, if any, the light has to do on the behaviour of the chickens. I am not sure the light you are describing would be bright enough to do anything. But if you sneak down after dark (at least an hour after dark) and listen to them, it should be quiet, not noisy.
If it is not quiet, then you should shutter the window or cover it with something to darken it. With the window darkened you will probably want to put a red light in there with a timer on it. You need the timer so the light will go out completely at a certain time. I wouldnt want a light in my face all night would you? If you are doing it for egg laying then this would apply to that also.
If it is quiet, then I would just watch the egg production. If you want to extend the hours so they get 12 hours of daylight then I would do the red light on a timer.
This post is going to be updated by me everyday. I am curious wether the egg laying is affected by the red light. Someone mentioned that it would decrease it.....so I am watching, LOL.
My hens started laying (if I remember correctly) a week before they were 6 months. I posted it on here, you could search for the post by author I believe. I hope this helped.
If you can, wait to see what effect, if any, the light has to do on the behaviour of the chickens. I am not sure the light you are describing would be bright enough to do anything. But if you sneak down after dark (at least an hour after dark) and listen to them, it should be quiet, not noisy.
If it is not quiet, then you should shutter the window or cover it with something to darken it. With the window darkened you will probably want to put a red light in there with a timer on it. You need the timer so the light will go out completely at a certain time. I wouldnt want a light in my face all night would you? If you are doing it for egg laying then this would apply to that also.
If it is quiet, then I would just watch the egg production. If you want to extend the hours so they get 12 hours of daylight then I would do the red light on a timer.
This post is going to be updated by me everyday. I am curious wether the egg laying is affected by the red light. Someone mentioned that it would decrease it.....so I am watching, LOL.
My hens started laying (if I remember correctly) a week before they were 6 months. I posted it on here, you could search for the post by author I believe. I hope this helped.
I mentioned that it might not help increase production; meaning I wasn't sure.
I'm glad you are finding out differently. Great!
I've gotten six eggs so far today. If I get two more by the end of the day, which I'm sure I will, then I'll have the normal amount that I get. Somedays I get up to 12, but some of the girls aren't laying daily yet.
I don't add light at all. It's been cloudy and stormy here since Sunday night. The only light they've had at all is natural since I did open one of the shutters just a little. Without that little bit of light their coop would be very dark.
There's something to be said for picking a breed that's known to lay well in the wintertime.
I'm glad you are finding out differently. Great!
I've gotten six eggs so far today. If I get two more by the end of the day, which I'm sure I will, then I'll have the normal amount that I get. Somedays I get up to 12, but some of the girls aren't laying daily yet.
I don't add light at all. It's been cloudy and stormy here since Sunday night. The only light they've had at all is natural since I did open one of the shutters just a little. Without that little bit of light their coop would be very dark.
There's something to be said for picking a breed that's known to lay well in the wintertime.
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- #25
Ya know gritsar, that occured to me last night. BO's are supposed to be good winter layers. So.........maybe this experiment will be skewed. But I will continue to put the amount of eggs we get on here cause maybe this will help someone with the light question or should I not bother?
There were 25 eggs yesterday.
There were 25 eggs yesterday.
I've been lurking on this post. I'm new to chickens, just got them in July. According to the feed store, they're about 24 weeks (not laying yet - grrrrrr).
I've seen other posts on this topic that said it could scare the chickens if you abruptly turn off the light when it's dark (if on a timer). Here sunrise is about 7am and sunset 5pm. Wouldn't it be better to turn it on at say, 3 or 4am and then let the sunset do it's thing for the night time?
I've seen other posts on this topic that said it could scare the chickens if you abruptly turn off the light when it's dark (if on a timer). Here sunrise is about 7am and sunset 5pm. Wouldn't it be better to turn it on at say, 3 or 4am and then let the sunset do it's thing for the night time?
My coop light is on an automatic timer, it turns on at 4 am and turns off at 7 am.
I wasn't planning on putting a light in the coop at all, but I was shocked at how quickly their production dropped! Now it's back up to where it was. I'm getting 9 eggs a day (from 17 hens, don't get me started) but I know I have 10 or 11 hens laying.
It is interesting to see how the red light is working for you, it never even occurred to me to use one. I am using a regular old CFL.
I wasn't planning on putting a light in the coop at all, but I was shocked at how quickly their production dropped! Now it's back up to where it was. I'm getting 9 eggs a day (from 17 hens, don't get me started) but I know I have 10 or 11 hens laying.
It is interesting to see how the red light is working for you, it never even occurred to me to use one. I am using a regular old CFL.
Great, thanks! I think I may try it. 
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- #29
I like to know that my chickens are sleeping at night when I do.....that is why the light turns on at 7am and off at 830pm. This set up is still allowing me wonderful egg production so far.
Luvinmypeeps, They may have a two or three days to get used to it shutting off at 830pm but theyre already on the roost and bedding down bu the time it shuts off. I would not keep a light on my chickies all nite, to me, that is kinda mean. But that red light is really nice to them as it has allowed them to be calmer when they go into the coop.
Luvinmypeeps, They may have a two or three days to get used to it shutting off at 830pm but theyre already on the roost and bedding down bu the time it shuts off. I would not keep a light on my chickies all nite, to me, that is kinda mean. But that red light is really nice to them as it has allowed them to be calmer when they go into the coop.
Quote:
LuvinMyPeeps, I believe the idea about adding the light at the beginning of the day rather than at the end is so the chickens go to roost naturally. If they are trying to find their roosting spot and the light suddenly goes out they will be stuck on the floor. Better to add it in the morning.
Roosmom, I'm glad it's working out for you. Learn something new every day. I chose not to add light. You choose to add it. There's no wrong way, just different ways.
LuvinMyPeeps, I believe the idea about adding the light at the beginning of the day rather than at the end is so the chickens go to roost naturally. If they are trying to find their roosting spot and the light suddenly goes out they will be stuck on the floor. Better to add it in the morning.
Roosmom, I'm glad it's working out for you. Learn something new every day. I chose not to add light. You choose to add it. There's no wrong way, just different ways.
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