Signs there's more light than needed in the coop.

[IdyllwildAcres]

They have water 24/7. They are fine awake and without food for a few hours. Thanks for the reminder why I quit coming to this board. Everybody is so quick to say "my ways right, yours is wrong" as opposed to just sharing ideas. Whatever works for you and your chickens is what I suggest doing. Carry on

Take the best and leave the rest, @aart was giving you solid advice based on her experience, she did NOT say she was right and you were wrong.

Gary

 

[marcym]

Exactly. As I was giving solid advice based on my experience. It's all good!

 

[Fairview01]

Sorry iff I'm hijacking or off topic, but what about chicks outside and pre lay pullets? Should they have light? My pullets go to bed at 4:30 right now even with the brooder having a dim red 75 watt bulb in the coop. Should I change something?

How old are they? If they're chicks, haven't feathered out and need the heat of the brooder, for mine I try to make sure that there is food and water available 24hr until they are on there own. If they are pullets how old are they and how close to laying are they? If they are a late summer or later hatch they will.start laying eggs despite the short winter days. Not as many as they will during late spring or summer but they will lay. Then you need to decide if you want to add extended lighting.

Extended lighting will not start them laying sooner, just more consistently. For an egg to be released the birds eye must receive a certain amount of light , 2hrs+/- to release the next egg after the previous one has been laid. I haven't red light doesn't do this but all I've read says the spectrum needs to be around 5000 degrees which is natural daylight.

It working for me. I have 10 pullets with bright red combs that says they should be laying. I get 8 eggs a day if I don't break one in my shirt pocket in the process.

As far as feeding the adults. Eh they get fed after I eat and I get around to it in the morning. I have a few impatient ones that hop the fence to free range but oh well those ones are smarter than the rest.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

Thanks for all the info! Mine are about 15 weeks and almost 8 weeks.

The bigger pullets haven't started to get red in the combs yet so a bit longer I'd think.

The young ones have a Faverolles cockerel lagging in feathering but he's nearly there finally. The others are nicely covered. I still have that bulb on just to cut the damp chill a bit, lots of wet 30s type days here lately. Plus I hate to see them not eat or drink for 14 hour stretches at this age. (Although I'm not sure if I should be worried about this? )

 

[Fairview01]

Thanks for all the info! Mine are about 15 weeks and almost 8 weeks.

The bigger pullets haven't started to get red in the combs yet so a bit longer I'd think.

The young ones have a Faverolles cockerel lagging in feathering but he's nearly there finally. The others are nicely covered. I still have that bulb on just to cut the damp chill a bit, lots of wet 30s type days here lately. Plus I hate to see them not eat or drink for 14 hour stretches at this age. (Although I'm not sure if I should be worried about this? )

They will get real.friendly when it gets chilly. Big thing is drafts. Ventilation yes, drafts no. One consideration is conditioning. Allowing them to experience a gradual tranditon to cold I personally think is better than in Feb turn the light off cold turkey. At the end of the day its your flock, your decision.

You may want to look up about nighttime lighting with blue lights and poultry gains. More than a few articles have been written about greater gains with a blue light rather than red. I use blueberry because that's what came with y brooder. I don't have th he experience to have an opinion.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

Honestly that 75 watt bulb isn't doing enough to really matter, it's high enough that at brooder floor level you can't really feel any heat. More for light at this point because I worry about them eating enough to grow.

I'll read on the blue lights thanks!

 

[Mark Armstrong]

I leave a light on all night, its a 25watt in a hooded fixture that is partially covered with foil, it points away from the roost so its pretty dim inside, got 8 eggs from 10 hens today so I guess they like it, never have any problems getting them to roost, their day is over around 6, I can usually start hearing the rooster around 5am everyday