Maine

[willowbirdks]

Can I ask what folks here do as far as putting a light in the coop to extend daylight hours over the winter? I've read that this is recommended to keep birds on a regular laying schedule, but when I asked around in the duck forum not many were doing it.

Our days are just so short in the winter... Not that I want to think about that with the beautiful weather we've been having this week! But I know it's coming, and I want to start planning.

 

[lazy gardener]

I didn't last winter, but am planning to this winter. My girls went into a molt late Oct - Jan. They pretty much stopped laying Nov. - mid-Feb, though one EE gave me 3 eggs/week straight through the winter. I did supplement with a flower pot heater b/c of the molt, and b/c the girls went into a bit of a stupor, and picked their activity up when I gave them the extra heat. During a bit of that time, they stopped eating as well, but picked back up when I replaced their current bag of feed (which smelled and looked fine) with a high protein Multi-flock. I know, this is more info than you asked for!!!

 

[islandgirl82]

Can I ask what folks here do as far as putting a light in the coop to extend daylight hours over the winter? I've read that this is recommended to keep birds on a regular laying schedule, but when I asked around in the duck forum not many were doing it.

Our days are just so short in the winter... Not that I want to think about that with the beautiful weather we've been having this week! But I know it's coming, and I want to start planning.

I have done with and without artificial light but prefer to go without. The reason being is because my girls are also pets and I personally feel they've more than earned a break from laying. My two oldest are between 3-4 years old and when they're laying, they each still give me 5 eggs every week.

I had given them artificial light last winter because the coop I'd been keeping them in was one of those super cute prefab things that started leaking before it had even spent a single winter outside. Unfortunately the leaks would not be easy one-day fixes so I ended up moving the whole thing down to my basement until spring. I allowed them to free range during the day but left the light on for a while each night because it was SO dark down there. I ended up upgrading coops (converted an ice fishing shanty I found on craigslist to a hen house), painted the inside so it's nice and bright and put in large windows to give them plenty of natural light. I don't even need a light in there most nights to see who is who because it's so bright in there with the moonlight.

Prior to last winter though, I did not provide artificial light and that year they took the second half of January and first half of February off from laying which was fine with me. The first year I had them, again with no light, they began laying in October and laid straight through the winter, only taking a day off here and there when the temperature was below freezing.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Can I ask what folks here do as far as putting a light in the coop to extend daylight hours over the winter? I've read that this is recommended to keep birds on a regular laying schedule, but when I asked around in the duck forum not many were doing it.

Our days are just so short in the winter... Not that I want to think about that with the beautiful weather we've been having this week! But I know it's coming, and I want to start planning.

I'm in the "I love them, they're pets, the eggs are extra" camp. Winter is hard enough on them without having to produce eggs, too. I like to give them a rest. Also when it's really cold by the time I get the eggs they're cracked from being frozen anyway, so they're a waste for human consumption. I also don't like having more wires run out there than necessary (all I have now is a heated waterer).

I don't add heat either - against that for many reasons.

 

[willowbirdks]

Thanks for the thoughts all... And any information that's "more than I asked for" is always welcome. This is all new to me, and I want to do right by my ducks.

I do not intend to add heat because the ducks really won't need it, though I might do something overnight if this year is another one like last winter. My coop is half of a shed we converted, and it has power, lights, etc. So the wiring isn't a concern.

I guess we will have to decide what balance we're going for on the pet vs productive livestock spectrum. I do tend to treat them like pets in many ways, and I don't want to make a hard season more difficult. But we did buy and raise them looking for eggs, so maybe we will just have to see how they respond as the season wears on... And how we respond!

 

[willowbirdks]

BTW, ice fishing shanty converted to a hen house? Totally brilliant.

 

[islandgirl82]

BTW, ice fishing shanty converted to a hen house? Totally brilliant.

Happy to help. When I started raising chickens I had ducks too. They shared a 12'x24' stall and the chickens had access to vertical space as well. I had khaki Campbells amongst others who weren't layers and they did extremely well when it came to year round laying without artificial heat or light.

As for my shanty turned hen house, thank you! It's still a work in progress but it's been a fun summer project. I got so frustrated trying to find a coop that would be large enough to accommodate my growing flock but that was small enough to move when I need to and wouldn't break the bank in the process. Even the used coops were ranging from $600 to $1000 and new?? I would have been selling both my kidneys, and a lung in addition to an arm and a leg. And none of them were really what I was looking for so I expanded my search and realized that a) shanties are made to be light enough to move and b) built to withstand extreme winter weather. Late winter is the perfect time to look for them too because so many people who are really into ice fishing are looking to upgrade themselves so I ended up with a shanty that has twice the space for less than half the cost of the less expensive coops I kept finding.

The one I got was built in skids which makes for easy moving but I attached planks to the top of the skids so I have a step to get in. It also had a built in storage bench, fold down counter and even a fold down bed that was suspended from the ceiling. I gutted it because I had different needs but salvaged the materials to frame out a couple of adorable cottage windows (another craigslist find at $8 each) and the chicken door. I also had enough materials to use to make roosts and a catch tray. I did end up replacing the corragated metal siding with wood because cutting that stuff... well let's just say that siding and I battled it out a few times.

I have the trim to put up and when that's finished I'll start in on a covered run that can be detached for easy moving

.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Thanks for the thoughts all... And any information that's "more than I asked for" is always welcome. This is all new to me, and I want to do right by my ducks.

I do not intend to add heat because the ducks really won't need it, though I might do something overnight if this year is another one like last winter. My coop is half of a shed we converted, and it has power, lights, etc. So the wiring isn't a concern.

I guess we will have to decide what balance we're going for on the pet vs productive livestock spectrum. I do tend to treat them like pets in many ways, and I don't want to make a hard season more difficult. But we did buy and raise them looking for eggs, so maybe we will just have to see how they respond as the season wears on... And how we respond!

My ducks sleep in an open style coop, and did completely fine last winter without heat. What worries me about heat is not only the fire risk but the significant plunge in temperature should we (and we do often) lose power. If they are acclimated to the slowly getting colder weather I think they're fine.

This is my duck coop:







I throw an old quilt over it if it's going to be super-sub-zero or snow is predicted to keep it out. I leave air gaps. Otherwise the front stays open. Haven't lost a duck or had any frostbite problems. I have pekins.

 

[dowgirl71]

Thanks for the thoughts all... And any information that's "more than I asked for" is always welcome. This is all new to me, and I want to do right by my ducks.

I do not intend to add heat because the ducks really won't need it, though I might do something overnight if this year is another one like last winter. My coop is half of a shed we converted, and it has power, lights, etc. So the wiring isn't a concern.

I guess we will have to decide what balance we're going for on the pet vs productive livestock spectrum. I do tend to treat them like pets in many ways, and I don't want to make a hard season more difficult. But we did buy and raise them looking for eggs, so maybe we will just have to see how they respond as the season wears on... And how we respond!

Willowbirdks, I do leave a light on for "my girls." It's on a timer that stays on until about 8pm but I don't heat their coop. Except for one really cold day, my husband was worried about them & took his space heater out for them. And he SAYS he doesn't like them! They are also my pets but I live in the city & have limited space, so I want them to be somewhat productive. The light also gives them a little extra heat. This has worked well for me, the past couple winters. Their coop is a Lowes shed that my husband put together (any excuse to build another shed). It's not insulated but well ventilated & no drafts. They seem quite comfortable in it.

 

[Marcy54]

My chicks just seem to leave me poop in the nest boxes. I put little wooden eggs in there to give them the idea. They don't care, just poop. They are liking the once 70 degree Maine weather today, hanging out in the yard under the coop, scratching and stuff.