Supplement lighting during winter

[monkeyqueen]

I've heard mixed reviews on using supplement lighting during the winter. Is it harmful and does it cut into their laying life span? Been told chicken will lay 6-7 years without, but only about 2.5 with light. I want to do what's best for my flock. I use lights, same as for a brooder to help heat on especially frigid sub zero days and nights. I have RIRs, BRs, EEs, Australorps, and Welsummers. (Last 3 breeds are this spring hatched.) Is extra heat even needed? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[ronmauldin]

You'll get al lot of different opinions on these two topics. It boils down to personal choice.

If you want to keep up your egg production during the winter , then use supplemental white lighting to maintain 12-14 hours of light a day. This will cut down on the egg producing years of your flock, though.

As far as winter heating, chickens are hardly and could survive without it, as long as they are dry and out of drafts. Personally, I use a heat lamp to keep the coop between 35-45. Why shouldn't the chickens be comfortable? It also helps with egg production and keeps their water from freezing in the coop.

 

[Phoenixxx]

I was lighting my coop over the past few winters, switching to a heat lamp when it got below minus 10 celsius. I'm heading into winter this year with only cold-hardy breeds so I'm going to see how they do without heat when the real cold comes. I was planning on still supplementing their light, though, but just over a week ago something went on in the coop where somehow the light managed to come off its hook and smash on the ground! I am SO lucky it didn't start a fire because it was turned on at the time and it landed in dry straw! As a result, I've opted to see how much production would be affected without any additional light... So far, it hasn't been affected at all I have 7 hens, 5 of which are pullets, one who has yet to begin laying, and most days I'm collecting 5 eggs; the odd day I will get only 3 or 4. One hen is a marans, the other is half australorp/half ameraucana; the pullets are their offspring, fathered by either australorp or marans. I don't know all that much about most of your breeds, but if you choose to go without additional light, your australorps at least should keep on laying throughout the winter. The EEs would depend on what breeds went into them, for example my pullet EE is 25% ameraucana/75% australorp and she lays pretty much every day since she started. Hope this helps!

 

[Toddrick]

For safe lighting I will probably do an LED bulb of some sort next year. This year (my first) I'm not using any light, and I'm not getting any eggs either. Also, since I can't keep the vent windows open most days now, there is almost no natural light inside the coop, so I'm thinking artificial light would be more healthy just to get them moving and out into the run (albeit a tiny run in my case). Plus, it seems chickens tend to often die of natural causes long before old age, so getting more eggs while they are alive doesn't seem detrimental (and who wants a six year old hen around anyways). Just my thoughts, but I do want my birds to be healthy and happy, so I will adjust my plan as necessary.

 

[RonP]

I posted this on another query, this is how I do it, works extremely well, hope it helps:

There are a lot of opinions on supplementing light to keep the chickens laying during time period where there is less than 12-14 hours of available daylight. Do your research, read and learn, separate science from all the opinions.

That said,

My coop gets 16 hours of light 351 days per year.

I turn lights off for 14 days to have birds go into a controlled moult late September .

Having had to install electricity for the thermostatically controlled water heater, I took advantage and installed a lighting system.

My system has two timers. The first is set to turn the lights on at 5:30am, off at 9pm.

Power goes on, passes through a photocell, then to a 300 lumen LED bulb, 4.8 watts, in the 8x8 foot print coop, and 2 4.8 watt LEDs for the 14x14 foot print outside run.

I light the run because I found the birds huddled outside the coop door in the dark one 5:30am morning...
They have access to the run 24/7, as it is as secure as the coop.

The lights are on only when it is dark enough outside to be necessary.
The time on very closely mimics my Summer Solstice in NJ.

The second timer is set to go on at 8:30pm, off at 9:30pm, a diffused 200 lumen LED 4 watt bulb.
This low light allows the birds to settle in before all lights out and 8 hours of darkness.

This system costs less than $5 per year to operate..


About the heat, again, there are a lot of opinions on supplementing heat to keep the chickens comfortable.

Many have a habit of humanising our feathered friends, but unless you have special circumstances, my research indicated cold hardy breeds are comfortable to ambient temperatures below -20F.

Just don't ruffle their feathers with drafts, and keep the humidity low by offering plenty of ventilation.

Keeping them "dry" is much more important than warm.

These are my conclusions based on my research, separating science from science fiction

.

Hope it helps.