Question on purpose of lighting coop

[NC Chicken Gal]

Ok, so I understand that the girls need more light to continue laying. Is the purpose of lighting so they have longer times to eat? The reason I ask is, I have had a problem with mice so at night I try to make sure the food is up.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Is your feed in hanging feeders? If so, the mice shouldn't be a problem. If not, you should consider getting some hanging feeders.

I'm not 100% sure on chickens, but for quail, I know that's the reason for the light. If they are eating more, they are more healthy, so they lay more

 

[NC Chicken Gal]

I am thinking about getting (or building) one that mounts to the wall. right now just in dishes on the ground.

I guess what I want to know is it is usless to light the coop at night if I put the food up? At least for now until I get the new feeder in.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Well, you would only want to have it lit for a few hours, what I was doing with my quail was taking the feed away when I went to turn the lights off. The lights should deter the mice, unless you have a major problem with them.

 

[NC Chicken Gal]

I have the timer set to go on about 7 pm and off about 9 pm then back on at 5 am and off at 7am..will adjust times as daylight changes.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
No, light directly affects the part of the bird's brain that controls the hormonal system and egglaying.

(Way up north, like towards the Arctic Circle, you do need to *also* make sure that chickens have enough daylight hours to eat enough; but that does not affect the other 99.9% of us

)

The reason I ask is, I have had a problem with mice so at night I try to make sure the food is up.

In NC your days do not get short enough that daylight is limiting, per se. If you start putting the feeders away at night, and then have a light on a timer that turns off or on in your absence til you return at daybreak to put the food back out, the chickens should get used to it fairly quickly and figure out that they'd better "stock up" while food is available.

If you are in the western half of the state, where temperature is a (little bit of) an issue in the winter, it might be better to wait until actual nightfall to take the feeder up, then put a light on a timer to come on at (say) 4 a.m. even though you won't return the feeder til you get up at 7 or whenever. This makes SURE the birds go to roost with a full crop to sustain their temperature overnight.

BTW, for those who think hanging feeders keep mice out, think again - mice JUMP. Seriously. They may not get into your food as bad as if it's on the floor, but they WILL get into it.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat​