To light, or not to light?

[Fanci Feathers Marans]

Not red--I will see if I can find my notes but you go by the kelvin number on the LED bulb. You want enough lumens so that they can see so not too bright. This link has more information on what the different colors do:

https://www.once.group/wp/wp-conten...ePapers_Energy-Savings-in-Poultry-Farming.pdf

Red is good for egg laying but not so good for rooster fertility. Since you want to hatch eggs, you need more of a blue color for the roosters to be fertile. Fertility is a big issue in the winter. One of the off white colors towards red is better.

3000 to 5000K led should work.

Oh. That makes sense. It was actually in the laying-hen management chapter. But you said both blue and off-white-red. Which is better? Should I get two? When/how long should the light be on?

 

[ronott1]

Oh. That makes sense. It was actually in the laying-hen management chapter. But you said both blue and off-white-red. Which is better? Should I get two? When/how long should the light be on?

The full spectrum towards red will work for both so you do not need to get two lights.

I use the 3000K bulb

 

[Fanci Feathers Marans]

The full spectrum towards red will work for both so you do not need to get two lights.

I use the 3000K bulb

I'll try to find some. Thanks!

 

[bobbi-j]

I just used a regular light bulb last time I used light. It worked.

 

[Hdghawg]

I apparently need practice on searching criteria as it took me forever to find exactly what I was looking for. In any case I put up a string of three lights like you would find at a construction site under the 20x8 overhang of my chicken yard today. I have had one inside the coop all along that's timed to come on 5am-8am and 4pm-9pm year round. Now I have 2 5000k and 1 3000k outside and the one 5000k inside all timed together. Is there a certain "time frame" that is better than another? Perhaps on earlier in the am rather than on later in the pm? I may be overthinking this as is my habit but I never would have thought the "color" would be so important either.

Edited to say: I just now notice this is in the "hatching/Incubating section. My purpose is supplementing light for year long egg production but this was the first useful post that came up on my search.

 

[ronott1]

I apparently need practice on searching criteria as it took me forever to find exactly what I was looking for. In any case I put up a string of three lights like you would find at a construction site under the 20x8 overhang of my chicken yard today. I have had one inside the coop all along that's timed to come on 5am-8am and 4pm-9pm year round. Now I have 2 5000k and 1 3000k outside and the one 5000k inside all timed together. Is there a certain "time frame" that is better than another? Perhaps on earlier in the am rather than on later in the pm? I may be overthinking this as is my habit but I never would have thought the "color" would be so important either.

Edited to say: I just now notice this is in the "hatching/Incubating section. My purpose is supplementing light for year long egg production but this was the first useful post that came up on my search.

12 to 14 hours of light--either in the evening or morning. You can look up daylight time by day in your area.

I set mine on a timer and have them come on in the evening for the amount needed to get to 14 hours. If I have them on in the morning, they make too much noise for the neighbors...Hens singing the egg song at 4 in the morning is not too popular in the City...

 

[bobbi-j]

12 to 14 hours of light--either in the evening or morning. You can look up daylight time by day in your area.

I set mine on a timer and have them come on in the evening for the amount needed to get to 14 hours. If I have them on in the morning, they make too much noise for the neighbors...Hens singing the egg song at 4 in the morning is not too popular in the City...

I have mine come on in the morning, but I don't have to worry about neighbors...

 

[ronott1]

I would have them on in the morning if neighbors were not involved too!

 

[Fanci Feathers Marans]

I would have them on in the morning if neighbors were not involved too!

Yeah. Plus, who wants to stay up til midnight just to shut the chickens up? You know. Light's out, chickens out.

 

[BYCforlife]

I hear about so many coop accidents with heat lamps. I am going to put some heating mats in my coop next year. If you ever use a hot bulb, just encase it in chicken wire so if it somehow falls it doesn't have contact with straw or wood shavings.