SUPPLEMENTAL LIGHTING TO PROMOTE INSECT AVAILABILITY

[centrarchid]

Over last couple months I have been using a heat lamp to light barn to compensate for failure of infrared flash on one of my game cameras. During that time I have been able to see a lot of activity from a small trap-wise Opossum and a bumbling Great-horned Owl that spends a lot of time in the barn almost every night. Chickens are contained in multiple pens. What has been particularly interesting is the juvenile chickens in particular are active through much of the night and can even evade the Opossum without difficulty. The chickens have been eating insects, mostly moths but also crickets. Getting board with the owl's activities, I re-positioned the light to shine more directly into a pen with eight chicks and their mother. The mother appears to sleep the whole night but the chicks appear to be eating insects flying into pen much of the night. The chicks are all heavier than average and not consuming feed like I expect.

 

[Latestarter]

Glad that it's working for you...

 

[SGH]

We had a chicken years back that would hang outside with us and not roost if I was out riding horses and /or hubby was in the shop. She would hang out in the summer late night with us eating bugs under the arena or shop lights!

 

[Lumenflower]

Interesting stuff! Thanks for sharing.

 

[BirdGirl2004]

That's awesome!! I should do this... Maybe it would cut down on feed expenses! It's great because the bugs are a great source of protein!
thanks for sharing!

 

[GC-Raptor]

I turn on the lights inside and outside the coop at 5am year round. .
In June, sunrise is as early as 5:19. Today it's 5:57, so there's about a half hour of dark for bugs to be drawn to the lights. . Though there are no moths and less flies compared to spring. There are beetles, spiders, mosquitoes and an unfortunate night crawler that wanders into the pen. GC

 

[centrarchid]

I turn on the lights inside and outside the coop at 5am year round.View attachment 1503475.
In June, sunrise is as early as 5:19. Today it's 5:57, so there's about a half hour of dark for bugs to be drawn to the lights.View attachment 1503476. Though there are no moths and less flies compared to spring. There are beetles, spiders, mosquitoes and an unfortunate night crawler that wanders into the pen. GC

I will be testing to see if spectra will be important. Bulb currently in use is a heat lamp bulb. It is entirely possible my light is not attracting insects all that well, rather it is simply making so chickens can see what is already attracted to barn for something else.

First two images show light shining directly on ground. Insects are not most abundant close to light.

Third image shows juveniles on ground that get lots of eats even when light not shining directly on them.

Last image of dog holding point on a mouse. Mice and Opossum also eating insects.

I have tried shining light up on barn ceiling which does not appear to make a difference in where insects are distributed. Bulb tight needs to be explored.

 

[centrarchid]

Trying this again with birds elevated and in contact with a piece of plywood to prevent smaller insects from falling out of reach. Light bulb of spectrum used in a typical home. Notice date starting latter part of spring rather than latter part of summer. There will be lots of May Beetles, at times so many the chicks will not be able to keep up. This round not likely to be an owl coming in to scare pants of chicks.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Trying this again with birds elevated and in contact with a piece of plywood to prevent smaller insects from falling out of reach. Light bulb of spectrum used in a typical home. Notice date starting latter part of spring rather than latter part of summer. There will be lots of May Beetles, at times so many the chicks will not be able to keep up. This round not likely to be an owl coming in to scare pants of chicks.

Watching, 👁. GC

 

[centrarchid]

Temperature low and wind a little high, insects are coming in and chicks feeding. About 1 sizable insect per minute. Needs to be a lot higher to justify chicks staying awake and not bunching up to stay warm.