Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Debbi]

Hey Barb, give that Ruth a cookie for that first egg!

For those of you that use lights in the winter to extend the daylight (not for heat), what wattage do you use? Right now, I'm getting about 10 hours of daylight a day. Supposedly, they need 14 hours of light to stimulate laying? At what end of the day do you run the light; 4 hours earlier in the morning, or at night, or 2 hours in the morning and 2 at night, or does it matter? Thanks.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
I did the light bulb thing last year but I'll never do it again. I used just a regular 60 watt bulb and extended the end of the day but I found I had feather picking like mad through the winter and then thoroughly messed up hens in the spring. They didn't moult in the fall last year as they have this year. They looked AWFUL by the spring. Truly. They laid LOTS of eggs through the winter but I will NEVER do it again. I'm getting about 10 hours right now as well and the ladies are laying up a storm. If they slow down in the colder months, so be it.

Ruth got a handful of raisins for her efforts. She was delighted!! As was (AM) I!!

 

[stoopid]

I always get nervous with lights in the coop, Village chicken's coop just burnt down, posted in BCM thread.
Hope all is well with you guys.

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
I did the light bulb thing last year but I'll never do it again. I used just a regular 60 watt bulb and extended the end of the day but I found I had feather picking like mad through the winter and then thoroughly messed up hens in the spring. They didn't moult in the fall last year as they have this year. They looked AWFUL by the spring. Truly. They laid LOTS of eggs through the winter but I will NEVER do it again. I'm getting about 10 hours right now as well and the ladies are laying up a storm. If they slow down in the colder months, so be it.

Ruth got a handful of raisins for her efforts. She was delighted!! As was (AM) I!!

Thanks Barb. I have never tried it, so had to ask. Out of 7 layers here, I'm only getting an average of 2 eggs/day. Two of them are just now getting back into laying after their first adult molt, and two haven't molted yet. The other three are new layers. Wonder if adding the light nearer to the sunrise would do better? I know when I have to take my old dog out at 4am, and turn on the porch light (which is in the front yard, chickens in the back), the birds all seem to wake up. Can you say 7 or 8 crowing roos at 4am??

Good thing I'm downwind of my neighbors, and they aren't real close!

 

[Debbi]

Quote:

That's always been my fear too! I've never used lights or heat in the coops..

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
I did the light bulb thing last year but I'll never do it again. I used just a regular 60 watt bulb and extended the end of the day but I found I had feather picking like mad through the winter and then thoroughly messed up hens in the spring. They didn't moult in the fall last year as they have this year. They looked AWFUL by the spring. Truly. They laid LOTS of eggs through the winter but I will NEVER do it again. I'm getting about 10 hours right now as well and the ladies are laying up a storm. If they slow down in the colder months, so be it.

Ruth got a handful of raisins for her efforts. She was delighted!! As was (AM) I!!

Thanks Barb. I have never tried it, so had to ask. Out of 7 layers here, I'm only getting an average of 2 eggs/day. Two of them are just now getting back into laying after their first adult molt, and two haven't molted yet. The other three are new layers. Wonder if adding the light nearer to the sunrise would do better? I know when I have to take my old dog out at 4am, and turn on the porch light (which is in the front yard, chickens in the back), the birds all seem to wake up. Can you say 7 or 8 crowing roos at 4am??

Good thing I'm downwind of my neighbors, and they aren't real close!

My theory: If I want more eggs, get more hens!!!!!

(I have 23 pullets/hens - some old, some young. Get about 7 to a 12 eggs a day right now with 10 hours of daylight. Suits me JUST fine. They seem happy and healthy - and well feathered. Works for me.)

 

[math ace]

Quote:
When I ran lights last year, my marans had problems with blood spots.
The research I did said that some breeds are especially sensitive to the additional lighting.

I, too, am doing the el natural thing this year. So far, I have not had any blood spot issues.

 

[Debbi]

I've had occasional blood spots without lights, but after reading about VC's fire, I think I'll just let nature handle things as I have in the past. Maybe I'll just leave the front porch light on at 4am?

 

[flgardengirl]

I don't run lights here and my marans girls still lay better in the winter than the dead heat of the summer.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
The lights aren't worth it, Debbi. Go with the 4 AM porch light and hope for the best!!!

What VC is going through REALLY helps me put things in perspective.