What do you do in alaska?

[rcentner]

Just a silly question, What do the chickens do if you live in a place where the sun doesn't rise certain parts of the year? Do they want to roost all the time? I suppose it is a must to have lights for them?

 

[rhoda_bruce]

omg......I'd go nuts. I have to have chickens ( I think ) and I have to have a garden. I guess I would have to figure out some warmth and lights.

 

[akchick]

I suppose there are not many chickens in the far north reaches of Alaska. Electricity can be extremely expensive so lights would be difficult to support. In Anchorage you still get some daylight but if you want eggs you'd have to supplement. I live in the panhandle, about 900 miles north of Seattle and we have about 7 hours of daylight right now. I have a few lights on timers as well as a heat lamp on the waterer. My pullets are 23 weeks and I just got my first egg 4 days ago. A rhode island red is the generous chick. Nothing from the EE's or austrolorps. I'd like to know if people in the far north have chickens. Anybody from Barrow on here?

 

[PeeperKeeper]

This is an interesting thread! I gues I never thought about our friends to the far far north.

 

[Imp]

I've seen posts from people in Fairbanks, Delta, and North Pole. I don't think Nome yet.

Imp

 

[speckles]

Hi,

I live in Petersburg Alaska which is on the southeast panhandle. I have 10 chickens and two ducks. We have the inside light come on at 5 am and it stays on until 6 pm and the outside light comes on a 5:30-8 am and back on a 3-7pm. Electricity is not too bad..we let the chickens have light and we live in the dark...we turn off the lights inside and use oil lamps and the woodstove. Boy those chickens have it good!!!

 

[silkiechick05]

Quote:
What about the ducks?

Swimming in ice!

 

[hollyandty]

I live in North Pole and we are not always in the dark. Sunrise is around 10 am but it gets light out at 8 am. Sunset is at 5 pm but I work outside until 6 pm.
I have daylight fluorescent tubes in my coops on for at least 13 hours a day. My chickens only get out to play when it is above zero (which it will be this week) but the light is always on the timer. I have about 30 hens and I get 13 to 18 eggs per day. Some of the pullets have yet lay.
My daughter has 30 young D'Uccle hens and gets 10 - 15 eggs per day. She has the same light setup in her coop.

 

[jenjscott]

hey akchick, welcome to byc, have you been lurking all this time?

 

[19Dawn76]

I love this thread! Someone post some pics of Alaska please. I always thought it would be neat to have everyone post pics of their backyards. I bet we all have very dif views.