Shine a Spotlight from My Window into Coop

[chickengeorgeto]

My coop is 20' away from my north window. It's a well-constructed commercial shed that I've converted, and it's footprint is 6' x 7'. I've been stressing over how to light it in the winter, since it won't work to run electricity over to it. It's got a big window facing my back window, as well as vent holes under the roof ridge. I'm wondering if it would work to shine a spotlight from my window across the 20' yard area and into the coop. What kind of light would work? How can I do this without blinding the chickens with the glare? I think I'd have to bounce the light off of something, or aim it at louvers. Please help me figure out how to do this, if possible, and if it would work for egg production during short winter days.

This old timer hauled 10 galleons of hot water 12 miles each way as much as twice a day so that I could melt enough of the ice in my hens and roosters drinking receptacles so that they could drink from around the edges of their water bowls.

Part of the purpose of a hens' crop is to soften things like wheat, corn, and oats before these foods go into the gizzard. During freezing cold weather I found that chickens needed less liquid water if I fed feed soaked for 4 - 5 hours by pouring boiling hot water over the feed several times until it could not soak up another drop of H2O.

As for hens needing light to lay year round, the thing that makes hens lay eggs seasonally is her pineal gland located behind her eye balls. Here all or almost all similarity between a human and a hens' eyes end. Hen's see Ultra-Violent light, humans do not see ultraviolet light. I can assure you that your hens will not respond to compact florescent lights or any other kind of light except good old fashioned ultraviolet light. As for feel good alternative light types, let the buyer beware. "if you 'ain't' drowning Polar Bears left and right by using an ultraviolet light.... ok mostly drowning them with your extreme right hand, then be prepared to buy your winter egg supply at your friendly Kroger's Industrial Farm outlet. I also highly expect that a spot light will fail and fail miserably.

You do not need to freeze eggs to enjoy them year round. Rubbing lard all over the eggshells and storing the eggs in a fridge @ 35 degrees will preserve your egg supply for 6 to 10 months. I do recommend however that you break each egg that you add to your cornbread or cake into a cup to be sure that you don't add any rotten eggs to your morning waffles or omelets.

 

[ConPollos]

 

This old timer hauled 10 galleons of hot water 12 miles each way as much as twice a day so that I could melt enough of the ice in my hens and roosters drinking receptacles so that they could drink from around the edges of their water bowls. 

 

Part of the purpose of a hens' crop is to soften things like wheat, corn, and oats before these foods go into the gizzard.  During freezing cold weather I found that chickens needed less liquid water if I fed feed soaked for 4 - 5 hours by pouring boiling hot water over the feed several times until it could not soak up another drop of H2O.    

 

As for hens needing light to lay year round, the thing that makes hens lay eggs seasonally is her pineal gland located behind her eye balls.  Here all or almost all similarity between a human and a hens' eyes end.  Hen's see Ultra-Violent light, humans do not see ultraviolet light.  I can assure you that your hens will not respond to compact florescent lights or any other kind of light except good old fashioned ultraviolet light.  As for feel good alternative light types, let the buyer beware.  "if you 'ain't' drowning Polar Bears left and right by using an ultraviolet light.... ok mostly drowning them with your extreme right hand, then be prepared to buy your winter egg supply at  your friendly Kroger's Industrial Farm outlet.   I also highly expect that a spot light will fail and fail miserably.

 

You do not need to freeze eggs to enjoy them year round.  Rubbing lard all over the eggshells and storing the eggs in a fridge will preserve your egg supply for 6 to 10 months.  I do recommend however that you break each egg that you add to your cornbread or cake into a saucer to be sure that you don't add any rotten eggs to your morning waffle or omelet.

Wow! Thank you so much for posting all that very interesting information! I love learning about how things were done in the good ole days, especially on farms.

One question, do warm white LED lights create the kind of ultraviolet lights the hens need? The Lights.com rep said they sell those to egg farmers. There's 100 on a strand and they'd be in a 6 x 7 shed coop.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

... I love learning about how things were done in the good ole days, especially on farms.

One question, do warm white LED lights create the kind of ultraviolet lights the hens need? The Lights.com rep said they sell those to egg farmers.

There are not now, nor were there ever any "Good old days" The idea that things were better 50, 200, or more years ago is wishful thinking. This is especially true of life on the farm.

Your question about the benefits of LED lighting is something that you should research on your own.

Start here:
LEDs do produce a small amount of UV, but they emit even less. That's because the amount that is produced is converted to white light by the phosphors inside the lamp. Mostly because UV radiation occupies that part of the electromagnetic spectrum that forces us to slather on sunscreen in periods of peak sunlight. Sep 12, 2012

www.leapfroglighting.com/lighting_and_uv_radiation/

 

[aart]

As for hens needing light to lay year round, the thing that makes hens lay eggs seasonally is her pineal gland located behind her eye balls. Here all or almost all similarity between a human and a hens' eyes end. Hen's see Ultra-Violent light, humans do not see ultraviolet light. I can assure you that your hens will not respond to compact florescent lights or any other kind of light except good old fashioned ultraviolet light. As for feel good alternative light types, let the buyer beware. "if you 'ain't' drowning Polar Bears left and right by using an ultraviolet light.... ok mostly drowning them with your extreme right hand, then be prepared to buy your winter egg supply at your friendly Kroger's Industrial Farm outlet. I also highly expect that a spot light will fail and fail miserably.

Was it uphill both ways too?


Funny, a couple of universities recommend using CFL's and LED's...I have read that the old style ballast tube florescent have a flicker rate that is NOT good for chicken eyes.
http://www2.ca.uky.edu/poultryprofi...ter1_Recommendations_related_to_lighting.html
http://umaine.edu/publications/2227e/

 

[ConPollos]

Was it uphill both ways too?


Funny, a couple of universities recommend using CFL's and LED's...I have read that the old style ballast tube florescent have a flicker rate that is NOT good for chicken eyes.
http://www2.ca.uky.edu/poultryprofi...ter1_Recommendations_related_to_lighting.html
http://umaine.edu/publications/2227e/

Very interesting! Thank you so much!

 

[aart]

Problem solved! Lights.com sells a string of 100 warm white LED lights with a timered battery pack to chicken farmers. The sales rep I spoke to emailed me the links. He said he's knowledgeable about the chicken winter lighting issue. http://www.lights.com/d-battery-box-with-timer-p-34410.html

http://www.lights.com/warm-white-100-led-strand-for-connectable-string-light-systems-p-16823.html

Let us know how this works out. Hopefully you will buy it immediately and test it

 

[ConPollos]

Let us know how this works out. Hopefully you will buy it immediately and test it

Lol Yes, I sure will. Since this will be the first winter season for all my young girlz, I'm not sure they will be as good of test subjects as older hens would be, but I'll definitely post my results anyway. Maybe someone who's tried these products already with older hens will weigh in.

 

[aart]

Quote: I'm just curious of the timer really works...and how long the batteries last.

Guess you'll have to wait for cold weather testing...unless you want to put it in the freezer.

 

[ConPollos]

I'm just curious of the timer really works...and how long the batteries last.

Guess you'll have to wait for cold weather testing...unless you want to put it in the freezer.

The proof will be in the "pudding pops." Lol I will put it in the freezer, that's a great idea.

But if the sales rep was accurate, the battery pack will last two months. Also, I have to turn it on manually the first day, and it will automatically shut off six hours later. After that, it will automatically turn on and off at those same times.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Was it uphill both ways too?


Funny, a couple of universities recommend using CFL's and LED's...I have read that the old style ballast tube florescent have a flicker rate that is NOT good for chicken eyes.
http://www2.ca.uky.edu/poultryprofi...ter1_Recommendations_related_to_lighting.html
http://umaine.edu/publications/2227e/

No,

I had to get out and ford the creeks during wet weather and push my 1961 May Flower up the steepest hills.

There are cases on this very forum were CFL's have proven ineffective at stimulating egg production.

Anyway, the web sight sighed above was concerned with decreasing CO2 production not with increasing egg production.