simulating light to help with egg laying?? (red light or clear light)

[88heather]

We are still waiting on our first egg. (chickens are about 21 weeks). as the sun starts going down earlier and earlier I have heard that you want to have the light on in the coop to simulate light to get the hens to lay..

first off.. how many hours of light do they need to lay??

2nd.. does it matter if your heat light is a red light? or does it need to be a clear light?

We bought a timer and need to set it so the light will turn off at a certain time of night and then turn on for a bit in the morning too..

any suggestions? words of wisdom? we are newbies at this

 

[Mudsow]

I'm still new too and only have one barred rock. But Saturday got my first egg (she was 22 weeks today) and she's had an egg a day for the last 3 days.

So I imagine once you start getting eggs.... look out! they just keep coming!

Mudsow

 

[gritsar]

If you choose to add light, 14 hours is how much they need. It doesn't have to be super bright, enough to read a newspaper by is sufficent.
Most everything I've read says its best to add the light in the mornings, so that the chickens can go to roost naturally in the evenings.
I chose not to add light.

 

[88heather]

a bit off topic.. As the weather gets colder do you need to be adding the heat lamp at night for them? I know they are supposed to be hardy birds.. but there must a be a temp where they need the heat lamp?

if they do need a heat lamp thru the night.. is it possible to get too much light?

6 of my birds are 21 weeks.. and the other 2 are 15 weeks or so.. Tonight we'll get to freezing.. we are in the low 30's now.. Crazy weather here.. last day of summer and we had SNOW today!! all 8 stayed in the coop most the day.. and I actually shut the coop door tonight.. have been leaving the door open so they could come and go as they pleased into the run.. but figured they needed the coop a bit warmer tonight.. Or maybe I'm just babying them???

 

[mk4lh]

My barred rocks are just shy of 19 weeks and yesterday I got my first 2 eggs. I have a light in the coop with a sensor and timer. The timer is set to go off at 9 pm and come on if needed at 7am.
When we first got our coop we insulated the walls and ceiling with the styrofoam insulation and recovered with plywood and that seems to help keep the temp stable in there. We also have 5 windows to open when it's warm outside for ventilation, and also a roof vent that resembles a skylight to help ventilate.
When I know the night is going to be a bit chilly I give my ladies some cracked corn for their evening treat. So far they seem to be doing fine.

Proud wife, mother, retired AF, 3 dogs and 26 BR's. City girl learning a new way of life.

 

[88heather]

Sensor timer?? how does that work?

Our coop has ventilation where the roof meets the coop.. we have 3 double paned acrylic windows which we shut yesterday (we are at 31 degrees at the moment).. The floor, walls and ceiling are insulated except obviously where the ventilation is..

For the coop door last night I did shut that but opened the coop door this morning and they have the light on now to help with warmth (not sure they really need that or not?

).. I'm wondering if the coop door causes too much a draft and thinking maybe we need some type of flaps for when the coop door is open so they can go thru the flaps and maybe the flaps would help with keeping out drafts??

19 weeks? wow.. mine are 21 weeks and I can't wait for that first egg!!! my other 2 hens are about 15 or 16 weeks and I figure it'll be at least a month of so for them.

we also have 3 roosters (we supposed to be hens) and we need to figure out what to do with the extras.. i have an ad on craigslist.. but stil no takers

 

[mk4lh]

Sensor timer?? how does that work?

We have a light sensor at the end of the coop that gets the last of the sunshine. When it doesn't sense enough light it triggers the indoor light to come on.

 

[88heather]

where did you buy yours.. did you find it online or some place like Home depot?

thanks!

 

[mk4lh]

Yes, you can get it at almost any hardware store. We had an electrician friend put ours in.