Using Home Assistant as a Coop Light Timer

[MudCop]

I'm just posting this incase someone else finds it useful. My egg production tanks every fall this time of year, so I finally decided to add a light to the coop. I was going to use just an on/off timer, but got to thinking about it and realized that wouldn't be optimal. Sunrise and sunset changes drastically throughout the year, so I would constantly be changing the timer so that the 8 hrs when the light is off is actually at night. Otherwise they wouldn't actually get their 8 hrs of darkness.

I use Home Assistant for all kinds of other things, so I used it to control the light in the coop using a Zooz Zen15 Z-wave switch. Home Assistant has an integration that can conrol anything based on the position of the sun. I have the light set to be on 16 hrs per day. It turns off at sunset, and then turns back on 8 hours later. So, it will turn off tonight at 7 (sunset atm), and then turn back on at 3 in the morning.

Any questions/critiques are welcome.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

I’m not opposed to extending lighting, but only 8 hours of darkness? As if every day is summer solstice? (depending on your latitude)

 

[Mother of Chaos]

- seems like an interesting program. I like the flexibility!

 

[Debbie292d]

To each their own, but I think most of us just let our chickens lay when they lay. Many of us consider them laying less in the wintertime, their "rest time," and they'll both live longer and lay longer if it's just natural.

Nice you came up with this though for those that may wish to do the same! I know in some northern areas or countries of the world, it must be done as they have way more darkness during winter months.

 

[MudCop]

To each their own, but I think most of us just let our chickens lay when they lay. Many of us consider them laying less in the wintertime, their "rest time," and they'll both live longer and lay longer if it's just natural.

Nice you came up with this though for those that may wish to do the same! I know in some northern areas or countries of the world, it must be done as they have way more darkness during winter months.

I’m not opposed to extending lighting, but only 8 hours of darkness? As if every day is summer solstice? (depending on your latitude)

- seems like an interesting program. I like the flexibility!

I definitely get where you're both coming from. If it's any consolation, I'm feeding on the upper end of the protein range and they have access to calcium. It's my understanding that 14-16 hours of light is the recommendation. If it seems like their fitness reduces as a result of this I'll certainly reduce the photoperiod. We'll see. They are also free ranged, so they don't typically live to an old age in any case.

I consider them a farm animal though and want them to produce. Feed is expensive. Just my preference.

Discussion: (not saying I'm right) What do chickens on the equator do? I imagine if their fitness reduces as a result of laying too much, they just lay less to account for it. They're self regulating, like all natural systems.

 

[ChickyCh00k]

There is no evidence that supplemental light shortens a laying hen's lifespan or has any effect on the number of eggs she will lay during her life. I don't know where that myth started, but it has infiltrated all corners of the chicken-keeping world. As long as you are ethical and humane, just do what works best for your personal chicken-keeping goals.

Providing clean water (making sure it doesn't freeze), quality feed, adequate housing, and run/yard space is what keeps chickens healthy. However, TOO MUCH light can have a negative effect. 16 hrs is the max.

Whether or not a hen will continue to lay with supplemental light also depends on age, laying cycle, and breed. Older layers (into their 2nd year and beyond) and certain breeds will likely take a break and/or molt regardless of the lighting situation, while younger layers and certain other breeds may keep laying.

https://poultry.extension.org/articles/poultry-management/raising-chickens-for-egg-production/

https://fatchancesoap.com/blogs/new...pgaRXnU-q8XfejvyYPLhK72jJtUBDixa1c-mxrgw1Q4YZ

https://the-chicken-chick.com/suppl... heard people comment,molt every 12-18 months.