My girls are now 23 weeks and one has "looked" like she is about to lay for three weeks now. I am thinking the waning light has something to do with this...or am I just being impatient? I think I'm going to break down and put a light in the coop for a couple of hours in the afternoon. The are going in to roost now between 5:30 and 6 and it's only going to get earlier after the time change next week. While my main question is about what light bulb to use for light only, not heat I'd also welcome any other advice on the subject! Thanks!
I don't suspect you need anything other a plain 60w that you already have laying around. I can't imagine that it has to be lit up like high noon. Anyone?
Well, after little response to my query, I went ahead and put a 60watt bulb in the coop and leave it on for a couple hours after they go in at night. They seem to try and sleep with the light on...will it help even when they're sleeping? I don't have a timer and I'm not about to go out there at 4am. Anyone have advice aboout this? Thank you!
It could be the light. My first to lay was 17 wks. my latest was 27 wks. I have seen some BYC posts saying as long as 30 wks. I leave a red 11 watt sign light bulb on 24/7. My girls lay fine. They aren't in the coop very mich during the day except to lay.
My suggestion would get a timer so the light on and off would be more constant. If you could you might want to move to a 40 watt. Might save a little electric.
If you can put the light on a timer and have it turn on before sunrise. I believe it's better to start their day earlier than to end it abruptly with the light turning off and it's suddenly dark. Meaning go ahead and wake them up early but let them go to sleep naturally.
my chickens slowed a bit . so i put a 27 watt energy effecent florecent lite on a timer. it goes on at 4am an off at 8am. there laying up a storm again. the timers are only 5 or 6 buckes
Mine have light until between 10 & 11:30 PM. There are 40 watt bulbs in their coop area and there are floods in the run. We also have several brooder lights in the barn that are on 24/7. Having a light turn on early is not practical for us, especially since most of the time we spend with our chickens is in the evening. Ours lay like crazy.
I've put a 75 watt bulb in the henhouse on a timer in the winter for earlier in the mornings, say it comes on at 5 a.m. and then goes off around 2 or 3 in the afternoon so they can have natural light to find their way to the roosts and not suddenly be left in the dark when the light goes off trying to find their way back to the roosts.
i have a big coop sectioned off area in my pole barn.The barn doesn't have any windows so I put a 40watt light on in one end of the coop.I leave it on all the time otherwise it is totally too dark in there.Everybody seems just as happy and I am getting lots of eggs now out of my little pullets who I hatched out may 10this spring.
