UV paint

[Cammo77]

G'day everyone, just wondering if anyone has painted their roosting bars with UV paint to help their chickens see them better?

 

[nuthatched]

Unfortunately, it won't help them see anything. If you want paint, you can use plain white but you'll see all the filth they create.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Here is a thread on the eyesight of birds that might help—I don’t think they would see the UV paint any easier than normal white paint. It might be easier to provide a motion-activated light for them although I’ve never had problems getting them to roost before dark unless they are pullets or in a new coop. Hope this helps!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...camouflage-for-free-ranging-chickens.1677023/

 

[Cammo77]

Here is a thread on the eyesight of birds that might help—I don’t think they would see the UV paint any easier than normal white paint. It might be easier to provide a motion-activated light for them although I’ve never had problems getting them to roost before dark unless they are pullets or in a new coop. Hope this helps!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...camouflage-for-free-ranging-chickens.1677023/

I thought with the way they can see the UV from their eggs I thought it might also be a cheap way to help them differentiate the roosting bars in lower light. Thank you for that link, I'm definitely going to have a good read through that when I can focus a bit better. At a glance it looks like some pretty full on discussion.

 

[Cammo77]

Unfortunately, it won't help them see anything. If you want paint, you can use plain white but you'll see all the filth they create.

Their eggs give off UV light so I thought it may help at dusk when they roost. My roosting bars don't get very dirty at all, nearly all the poo ends up on the ground below.

 

[nuthatched]

Their eggs give off UV light so I thought it may help at dusk when they roost. My roosting bars don't get very dirty at all, nearly all the poo ends up on the ground below.

Eggs reflect light, yes but roosts don't need to.
If they're having trouble, they may need a night light or more windows

 

[Cammo77]

Eggs reflect light, yes but roosts don't need to.
If they're having trouble, they may need a night light or more windows

Sorry, reflect is the correct word. If roosts didn't need to reflect light then they'd never see them at all.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Most of the time chickens will roost before it gets dark. Are yours not doing that?

 

[nuthatched]

Sorry, reflect is the correct word. If roosts didn't need to reflect light then they'd never see them at all.

The roost before dark and don't leave before dawn, they don't need to see them in the dark. Don't worry.

 

[Cammo77]

Most of the time chickens will roost before it gets dark. Are yours not doing that?

I have an auto door on the coop but I lock them in their run on dusk. They free range from around 6am till dusk. I have tall roosts in my coop to try and encourage them to develop wing strength to help them become more athletic to help with avoiding predation. I'm also breeding lighter breeds like Leghorn and gamefowl for this same reason. On occasions a bird could be hunted off or knock off by another chicken as they're going to roost. I've seen often enough them not quite confident to hop straight back up even if they have the space. The idea with the UV (not fluorescent) paint might help them differentiate the roost from other background images in the lower light conditions. Putting a little bit of paint on a roost seems a much easier fix then artificial light or adding more windows. It was just a thought.