Making/ Buying a Light on a Timer for the Chicken Coop in Winter!

[aart]

Not timer but cheap

A timer is pretty essential for winter laying, any change in duration of lighting can stop them laying. Here's a pretty good article on supplemental lighting.

 

[tigger19687]

I know, but I could use this for other things if it didn't work for the hens.
Plus it may be cheaper. You could always set an alarm on your phone and then turn on or off the light.

 

[Sublight]

I may be a little late to this party but how about this?

You know the little sidewalk lights? Buy a pack of them, and pull the solar panel off the top. Extend the wires that hook to the solar panels, and run the little panels to the outside of your coop.
Now these little lights will charge in the day, and come on at night. All controlled by the solar panels. Super easy. Just a little fun, controlled destruction and some extra wire. EZ PEEZY. They already have batteries, and timers built into them.

 

[tigger19687]

@Sublight , They don't have timers on them. Just that they turn on when there is not enough light out. Mine actually come on when it is already almost dark out. Not dusk, but after that.

 

[Sublight]

@Sublight , They don't have timers on them. Just that they turn on when there is not enough light out. Mine actually come on when it is already almost dark out. Not dusk, but after that.

You are right, they don't have timers. They would stay on all night, and you may not want that.

I wonder if you could take a piece of darker plastic and put over the solar panel. The device would think its darker then it really is, and come on earlier. AND it wouldn't charge the light as much, so it wouldn't stay on all night long.

 

[tigger19687]

That is why I like the remote solar light I have. I can turn it on or off when I want by remote

 

[Mainer Chickens]

Hi all, I'd like to add safe timed LED lighting to my coop as well, but it's very small - about 3' x 4' with a low ceiling for 3-4 hens. We keep it small so the hens stay warm in our frigid Maine winters, which they do, but the laying pretty much stops completely so we'd like to try a safe lighting system that they can't burn themselves on or run into. Any ideas?

 

[aart]

...very small - about 3' x 4' with a low ceiling for 3-4 hens. We keep it small so the hens stay warm in our frigid Maine winters,

Just gotta say, tho it may have worked for you,
this is mostly fallacy, adequate ventilation makes 'holding heat' moot.
Small, low coops are harder to ventilate properly.

 

[scottcaddy]

A timer is pretty essential for winter laying, any change in duration of lighting can stop them laying. Here's a pretty good article on supplemental lighting.

@aart
I know that this is an old post, but I just found it. Did you also read his take on chicken vision?
https://mikethechickenvet.wordpress.com/2012/03/30/chicken-vision/
Thought you might like it.
Scott

 

[aart]

@aart
I know that this is an old post, but I just found it. Did you also read his take on chicken vision?
https://mikethechickenvet.wordpress.com/2012/03/30/chicken-vision/
Thought you might like it.
Scott

Yes, I have read that, it's pretty interesting, and several others by the same guy.