Supplemental lighting preferences

[BenisonsChickns]

Trying to decide on when to put on the lights what do you do?

 

[GracePoultry]

I personally like to give my chickens the natural break however I also aren't relying on my chickens egg supply for breakfast and I don't have an egg business so there's that. A friend of mine has a light that is on a timer that goes on in the early morning when it's still dark.

 

[aart]

Best to add it in the morning, IMO.
I also don't increase the light until late December, when they are done molting. They do need an annual break in laying.

 

[RememberTheWay]

Best to add it in the morning, IMO.
I also don't increase the light until late December, when they are done molting. They do need an annual break in laying.

I second this opinion. Mornings are best and I believe the research I did also said you should gradually increase the light over time until you get to the total light hrs you are aiming for.

I have not used light in all the yrs I've had poultry. But I got pretty serious about starting a business this last yr and am seriously reconsidering the decision not to use it. Reason being is that I'm not sure I can go the entire fall/winter without any income and or having to also purchase store eggs. So in order to help move my farmstead business along, this yr at least, I am considering using lights this season. That way I will be able to continue to hatch, sell hatching and table eggs, and have laying hens for sale by spring.

I'm going to follow along as I am also looking for suggestions on what to use for lighting. What kind of lights/bulbs, what kind timers people like, and how they set everything up, etc...

 

[Penpal]

Has anyone used full spectrum lighting? I have some chickens in the house next to two tomato plants. For the plants, I have two full spectrum light bulbs which also light up the chicken area when the sun sets.

 

[PetesChicks]

I haven’t used lights in a few years, but I used to. I had 2 sets of white Christmas lights set up. They were on different timers, both would go on at the same time in the morning, and off after sunrise. Then they would both turn on again in the afternoon before it started to get dark. And this is where the two sets come in.

I don’t get home from work until about six o’clock, so the first set (the brighter one) was set to turn off around seven. The other set was set to turn off around half an hour later. It was still light enough to see, but dim enough that the ladies knew it was time for bed. If I was still in the coop when the first set turned off, I’d get to see the roost game.

 

[BenisonsChickns]

I’ve been experimenting with a single energy efficient bulb set on a timer it turns on at 4am and off at 630 am once the suns coming up, I’ve noticed my ladies are being loud early in the morning though not sure I’m gonna be able to continue using the light but I’d like eggs in the winter

 

[aart]

I’ve noticed my ladies are being loud early in the morning

Do they have feed and water available?

 

[skeeeter]

I've never used lights on adult fowl.
That said, I have read, in lots of places, that the way to have eggs all winter is to have pullets for 50% of your flock.
Spring(March~April) hatched pullets should come into lay by Sept. and continue (without a moult) through to spring. According to old poultry books.

 

[BenisonsChickns]

I’m

Do they have feed and water available?

yes I leave feed and water out all the time, maybe I don’t need a light this winter since their all under 1 year old?