Using a Light to keep production up? Pros/Cons

[Acre4Me]

I would not use lights. I read somewhere it can give hens cancer,,,,

Not likely. Flocks of hens provided supplemental light are not getting cancer en masse.

Funny post bc lots and lots of bad info that one can “read somewhere”.

 

[Acre4Me]

I've had them not molt with the light...a few molted in spring.
Then I've had them molt with light...SMH.
It's not like flipping a switch

@Acre4Me what is the daily duration of lighting you use?
Is it on all the same all year or....?

We have added light in the morning only to provide 14 hours per day total light exposure: artificial+natural combined. It is not on all year bc enough light in summer to not need it. We use a timer, so it will come on and turn off at same time each day. It is only on for a few hours in the morning. There is only one bulb, and it is by the door of the coop (inside the coop), not directly over the roosts.

 

[aart]

It is not on all year bc enough light in summer to not need it.

So what month of the year do you turn it on?

Have read of a few that leave light on all year, thus the natural decrease/increase in light can still have an effect for laying and molting.

 

[ValerieJ]

Geez, Louise.

 

[Acre4Me]

So what month of the year do you turn it on?

Have read of a few that leave light on all year, thus the natural decrease/increase in light can still have an effect for laying and molting.

Last year we turned it on in early Nov (when electric was installed). The pullets (yes, under 1 year) were actually starting to decrease laying noticeably by then. Don't specifically remember when we turned it off. We just turned it on recently for extra few hours in am. We will keep it on during the winter.

 

[slordaz]

I do not use a light other than natural light, though they want more protein during the winter as up here we don't have bugs this cold and snowy. pays to do your research though, Mine lay pretty good still in the winter time. I let mother nature do her thing as a chicken only lays so many eggs in her lifetime and would rather have happy healthy hens.

 

[woodmort]

I've used lights for 5 years.
It can work, or not.
Have decided they do need a break so now don't turn the lights up until after all have molted.

I've used lights for 30 years. When they molt, they don't care how light it is, they stop laying.
BTW my lights are on at 6 am/off at 9am then on again at 4 pm/ off at 9pm , 365 days a year so the light is constant. I admit they aren't pets but I don't cull when they stop either, they just hang around until they either die of old age or get killed by some varmint.

 

[Acre4Me]

I let mother nature do her thing as a chicken only lays so many eggs in her lifetime and would rather have happy healthy hens.

So, happy vs unhappy (human emotions) are emotions tied to egg laying in chickens??

 

[cmom]

I have night lights in all of my coops that are on 24/7/365. Most birds will stop laying eggs or slow down during their molt. I have tried lights on timers but really when the birds need a break they will take it. I do increase the protein in their feed while they are molting as their feathers are made of mostly protein. I have culled but mostly I sell my excess birds, birds I'm not using for breeding. I hatch out a lot of chicks every spring.

 

[slordaz]

well a happy hen tends to give ya more eggs than one that's always escaping cause isn't happy and giving the eggs to the neighbor lol. It's just a saying