The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Kassaundra]

I know we've heard the pro/con debate of lighting 1000 times, but have a lighting question for those that are pro supplemental lighting. I posted this in the egg laying/behavior forum, but maybe you all can chime in too.

I know supplemental lighting should be added in the morning so no one is caught off the roost, but is it really that bad to add it in the evening? I don't leave food in the coop and the birds never hang out in there. If I add the light in the morning, they'd be stuck in there for an hour or two until we get up (more of an issue in late winter when it would be going on at 4:15). In the evening would allow them to be in or out. It also may bear mentioning that I have solar lights in the run and a porch light nearby, so they wouldn't be plunged into total darkness.

I have light in my coop for my convienece, so I can turn it on when I need to do things after dark or at dusk. I don't turn it on regularly for egg production, but have nothing against doing so if someone wants to or thier egg production drops that low. If I were going to do it, I would definately do it at night and not in the morning. Both chickens and roos are noisy and I would not want them to be making more noise earlier. I live in town, but even if not I wouldn't want the extra noise (I am not a morning person)

 

[MumsyII]

I just want to reassure that I have no intentions of leaving lights on 24hrs as was mentioned by two replies now. I am not raising my birds anyway similar to commercial operations. My question was if I were to add light (no more than three hours in the dead of winter and considerably less in fall and spring), can I do it in the evening instead of the morning. I understand the point of view of people who are against light in the winter and I respect that view, so please respect my point of view and don't compare me to an inhumane commercial operation.

I apologize. Truly. It was not my intention of comparing you to inhumane commercial operations. I don't see any where in my post where I compared you to that. I was stating why I don't light for increased egg production. This is the natural chicken keeping thread. This is where my brain is thinking when it comes to raising my flock. You came here for advice. I gave my 2 cents worth.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Tomorrow evening is 2 weeks on my broody.

Right now I am thinking that I'm not going to candle them but just leave things to her. Should start beginning to hatch next Friday.

 

[uglychickens]

I'm done with this thread! Goodbye!

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote:
I make sure the light is off for 8 hours of darkness. But since I don't always let the birds out at dawn, I find the light helpful. I get to bed pretty late myself so to be up and ready to open the coop at dawn, for me is not realistic. Now I could have made a better coop that let in more sunlight but alas I was new.
My preference would be to save the money and leave the light off. But as it is I'm using the light to make up for the light they miss because I get up after the sun. Also most of my egg use is in the cooler shorter days so I don't heat up the house baking in the summer. So I do have a motive to convince my chickens to lay in the winter, even if it means they may molt during the summer or go on strike due to the heat.

I'm not sure she was saying you were just like the commercial operation but that having a light is more like them than not having a light. Kind of a sliding down the mountain thing or a slippery slope argument. I have to say a light is not the most natural way to raise the chickens but then neither is having a net over the pen like I do for the grow out pen. It is all about risk and reward even for the backyard chickens. But she is right that over increasing the egg production with out breaks can cause health problems. To be honest, I'm sure that too much egg production is bad for many species not just chickens.

 

[MEMama3]

I make sure the light is off for 8 hours of darkness.  But since I don't always let the birds out at dawn, I find the light helpful.  I get to bed pretty late myself so to be up and ready to open the coop at dawn, for me is not realistic.  Now I could have made a better coop that let in more sunlight but alas I was new.

My preference would be to save the money and leave the light off.  But as it is I'm using the light to make up for the light they miss because I get up after the sun.   Also most of my egg use is in the cooler shorter days so I don't heat up the house baking in the summer.  So I do have a motive to convince my chickens to lay in the winter, even if it means they may molt during the summer or go on strike due to the heat.


I'm not sure she was saying you were just like the commercial operation but that having a light is more like them than not having a light.  Kind of a sliding down the mountain thing or a slippery slope argument.    I have to say a light is not the most natural way to raise the chickens but then neither is having a net over the pen like I do for the grow out pen.  It is all about risk and reward even for the backyard chickens.  But she is right that over increasing the egg production with out breaks can cause health problems.  To be honest, I'm sure that too much egg production is bad for many species not just chickens. 

I completely understand the argument and I hope I didn't come across grouchy. I was just miffed that two people mentioned 24/7 in their replies. I know it's a touchy subject and I debated long and hard before making the decision I did. I love my birds as pets and spoil them every chance I get, but I also have them for production too. It's a balancing act and I try to think in terms of their best interests too.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Del -
On the wet stools...you probably have something there as she is not eating very much for sure. It was just so different this time from the time in the winter that she brooded that I was a little concerned. otherwise...I really haven't paid any attention to poop. I guess this broody is a watched pot

 

[Leahs Mom]

Since my broody girl's eggs are due to hatch next Friday, and this seems to be "excessive hawk season"... what is everyone's experience with hawks and tiny chicks w/a broody? Have you just let them out w/ momma to roam under her protection, or do you give them a bit more protection at this time of year by keeping them more secluded?

She took very good care of her first hatch last winter but there wasn't the opportunity to go out and roam around much before they got pretty big. And now there seem to be tons of hawks around - more than I noticed last year!

 

[Sally8]

"sigh". This used to be a thread where when opinions are asked for you could freely give them. I knew I should have pretended to be someone else. No comments from me. sue

 

[delisha]

Del -
On the wet stools...you probably have something there as she is not eating very much for sure. It was just so different this time from the time in the winter that she brooded that I was a little concerned. otherwise...I really haven't paid any attention to poop. I guess this broody is a watched pot

lol..your broody will be different with each clutch. Some day she will kick them to the curb in 4 weeks and start laying right away.

Since my broody girl's eggs are due to hatch next Friday, and this seems to be "excessive hawk season"... what is everyone's experience with hawks and tiny chicks w/a broody? Have you just let them out w/ momma to roam under her protection, or do you give them a bit more protection at this time of year by keeping them more secluded?

She took very good care of her first hatch last winter but there wasn't the opportunity to go out and roam around much before they got pretty big. And now there seem to be tons of hawks around - more than I noticed last year!

This is the worse time I have had with loosing chicks out with moms and hawks. I lost at least 6 chicks to them already and migration just started. I know its a risk. It is a risk I take and some years I loose non and some years are like this year. I have a leg horn on silkies, they are hatching now. She is a great mom and teaches well. I am not worried about the silkies. The first thing she teaches is safety, the second is food. The 6 chicks I lost were from one mother. She is a sweet birds, but her teaching stinks. She coddles her chicks and stuffs them full of food. The 6 she has left are so fat they could not run if they tried.

She does not even make the warning call. She just calls them to tuck under her and not an object.