To use lights or not to use lights?

[gritsar]

Quote:
I'd be the last person anyone would accuse of humanizing chickens.

If chickens have "evolved" from equatorial birds, then it would stand to reason they have evolved away from the need for additional lighting to have "normal" eating and exercise activity. Isn't this the whole reason for evolving? To develop adaptations that allow them to function and achieve homeostasis in an environment that is not of their origin? The reasoning has holes.

People who live in areas that have winter seasons rest also, as do many of the animals that live in those zones. It is a normal cycle to adapt to winter lighting, temps and food supplies. If your chickens live in that zone as well, it only stands to reason that they would also naturally go into a more energy efficient mode of life.

No one says that lighting them up is bad for them...as you say, you've done it for 20 years and nothing has resulted from it. My family have been doing it our way for far longer than a mere 20+ years and we've had no adverse affects with our methods either....no one is saying one is wrong or right or accusing anyone of dehumanizing or humanizing chickens because one chooses to light or not. The OP asked for opinions and we gave them~each with its own merits.

 

[woodmort]

Quote:
I'd be the last person anyone would accuse of humanizing chickens.

If chickens have "evolved" from equatorial birds, then it would stand to reason they have evolved away from the need for additional lighting to have "normal" eating and exercise activity. Isn't this the whole reason for evolving? To develop adaptations that allow them to function and achieve homeostasis in an environment that is not of their origin? The reasoning has holes.

People who live in areas that have winter seasons rest also, as do many of the animals that live in those zones. It is a normal cycle to adapt to winter lighting, temps and food supplies. If your chickens live in that zone as well, it only stands to reason that they would also naturally go into a more energy efficient mode of life.

No one says that lighting them up is bad for them...as you say, you've done it for 20 years and nothing has resulted from it. My family have been doing it our way for far longer than a mere 20+ years and we've had no adverse affects with our methods either....no one is saying one is wrong or right or accusing anyone of dehumanizing or humanizing chickens because one chooses to light or not. The OP asked for opinions and we gave them~each with its own merits.

Ok, maybe I put that poorly but one can't put human thoughts into animals, that's poor reasoning as well. Just because I think my chickens need a winter rest does not mean they have to have one--that is humanizing them. Granted they have been bred to withstand cold and long winter nights but that doesn't mean they have to or that it will, necessarily, be better for them. My point is that there are those that argue that a hen should have a shorter light period so they can have a winter rest and I can see no reason why it is necessary except that people think it is necessary.

On the other hand, maybe I am humanizing them too much to insist they get extra hours of light in the winter given that many humans do not adapt to shorter daylight hours either.

BTW another argument is that our ancestors didn't use light and their birds got along just as well. Actually, if I remember correctly, my grandparents harvested most of their chickens over the winter leaving one rooster and a few good brooder hens for the next year's crop. That winter rest didn't work out too well for most of their birds.

 

[Beekissed]

double post

 

[GoldenCometLady]

I have not kept chickens long but I am using the extra light only in the morning.
It comes on at 4am and goes off around 7:30am when it is getting light here
anyway. No extra light at night. The production is still up to nearly every hen laying
an egg a day. They are all big and healthy and have shinny feathers. I do not
see any harm coming to them. They began laying at 15wks and are now 30wks old.

They have not had a molt yet. I don't know how old they are when that happens.
They only heavy shedding of feathers they have had was when they were younger
and getting there adult feathers then they were never bald.

 

[Beekissed]

Ok, maybe I put that poorly

It is a rare man indeed who can admit they may have been mistaken....I am honored to meet you!

And I think you may be correct in thinking some are projecting by thinking chickens need a rest in the winter, as laying eggs is surely not all that taxing.

Myself? I just don't let chickens get too complicated for me....I don't turn on a light for them because it costs money and I'm just not that interested in forcing lay. I could care less about manipulating chickens in any season....too much effort and thought involved.

I'm an easy, breezy kind of flock tender that is very content to provide good food, forage, warm coop, fresh water, soft nesting, comfy roosts.....as long as it doesn't take tremendous effort or thought on my part. Light? Let God provide it! I do my part.

 

[tuesdays chicks]

I kind of asked this question awhile ago but I was trying to reason out why hens stopped laying in the winter, and was wondering if because I live in a warm climate will the dark days effect laying less, my reasoning for a decrease in egg production, (and I may be totally off base with this )
A) a hen eats less if she doesn't have the light to see by.
B) if a hen eats less she gets less protein and calcium therefore cannot produce the egg
C) if she is eating less she needs to conserve her energy and body weight to keep warm in cold areas
so in my humble opinion light really can't hurt anything.

 

[Momo]

I would suggest that chickens haven't "evolved" for our environment but rather have been selectively bred by humans for certain traits over a relatively short span of time, which is related but not the same thing, and I think they do very well considering that they are essentially a tropical bird. I personally add light in the mornings because I feel the long winter nights in my neck of the woods are unnatural for them.

 

[dieselgrl48]

We have an Original Old BIG coop that came with house.After some tweaking by DH and father in law 6 years ago the timer and light's all work great. We used it a little while maybe one season and that was it.I think at that point We decided best left up to nature.We didn't really see much a of a diff. in the laying anyway.A chicken is going to lay one egg a day and that's it.They have their own natural instinct's basicaly.Your probably going to spend more on electricity bill than going to buy a dozen of egg's at the store sadly.They will give up the egg when ready.

.

 

[kidd42]

I use a light in the morning on a timer to give the girls more light hours during the winter months. The light comes on at 4:00 am and shuts off at around 7:30 am. Then no artificial light in the afternoon so that they have the natural gradual darkening. My 9 hens are all coming off a molt, so they have had a rest from laying.

 

[tuesdays chicks]

well ok I want to know do some breeds still lay regular without artificial light? everyone says 14 hours of light I'm already down to 12 hours or less and my BO hen is in molt and I'm still getting 5 eggs from her (at least I think she's in molt) she has her back feathers finally growing back, I've been waiting 6 months for them to come back from where her old roosters pulled them out. and I thought the reasoning for the quit in molt was because the energy went to making new feathers. maybe I'm all wrong upside down and backwards.