Question about lights for egg-laying in winter

[speckledhen]

I have a heatlamp that comes on over the waterer on the extremely cold nights, just to keep it from freezing solid. It's 125 watt lamp. It's not near the roost and I hang it right over the waterer, pretty low, so the light doesn't affect them at all.

 

[waynesgarden]

There is a lot of discussion about problems of extending the day in the winter in the northern latitudes, but i have not seen any scientific data to convince me. Only opinion.

My question is if I were living in Equador where my hen was getting 12 hours of natural light each day of the year and then the hen and I moved to northern Maine in the dead of winter, how would the artificial light taht I would provide cause any more reproductive problems then the all-natural light for the same daily duration that it would receive living down at the Equator?

Chickens all over the world moult and that gives them their break from laying. Why do chickens in the far north require an additional break induced by short days that do not exist much farther south where they are native to?


If chickens originated down in the sub-tropics, then it would seem to me that perhaps the unnatural conditions we subject our birds to stems from removing them from their natural environment and moving them to the sun-deprived North.

Sure would like to see some scientific information concerning this. Until then, I'll not be swayed nor made to feel guilty by those whose opinions tell me I'm wrong. Can anyone shed some light on this?

Wayne

 

[motorboy]

I agree with waynesgarden, but more power to you if flicking the light switch off makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Either way, most hens don’t get the chance to expend all of their eggs.

 

[debilorrah]

Because I have weird chickens, we have a porch light in the coop for them for an extra 30 minutes a day. And the brooder is in the hen house, so they get that light, but that's it.

 

[newchicks]

I would love to hear more opinions on this topic. Being new with only two chickens in a large barn area with a high ceiling, my thinking was a secured red heat light over their roost, and with a 25 watt light to come on at 6:00am till I come down to open the barn usually between 7-7:30 am. But no other change in light at the end of the day. What's the opinion with that,

 

[vermontgal]

Is there a "moderate" approach to lighting?

Here in VT, the darkest day is about 8:50 hrs long, sunrise to sunset. Could I extend the day just a little to 10 or 11 hours with less harm to the chickens?

Also, what about the first year? My June/July pullets are supposed to start laying in approx early December. If I don't give them any light, would they be likely to stop laying in their first month?

 

[waynesgarden]

Quote:
I think until someone demonstrates that any harm is actually being done to the chickens, I'm extending the day here in Western Maine to the daylight length my hens' sisters at the Equator are enjoying, approx 12 hours per day.

That seems like a moderate approach to me.

Wayne

 

[speckledhen]

I read a scientific study about it, but I'll have to see if I can find it again. dlunicorn may have it in her links. Diana?? I'm not stating opinion, but telling you about an actual study with conclusions. Lots of opinions out there, certainly.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I see speckled hens' point ..never thought of that though. Plus you said your hens are only 12 weeks old. You would not even need a light this winter at all because they won't be laying until about 22 weeks anyhow. You surely don't want them to lay early...that's also dangerous for them. Good luck! I'm adding a heat lamp in the coop this winter too.

 

[speckledhen]

Yes, I'm sure there is a moderate approach to artificial lighting. For example, you could make sure the daylight isn't less than 14 hours, OR anymore than that. Some that use the 16-18 hour schedule, to me, are asking for trouble. If you are a commercial operation, I'm sure you would choose the longer period, but then, they have to replace their layers about every 2 years, some do it every 3, I think. They dont care how long the hens lay after that, or if they caused any issues after the spent hens are disposed of. I'd rather they live a more natural life, overall. It's always your choice, I suppose. Hatchery stock is already chosen for their egglaying prowess, sometimes to the detriment of all else, and will continue to lay in winter, to a degree, anyway. I lost 3 hens this year who were all under two and a half, to internal laying, and I dont want to contribute to their early deaths in any way.