First winter for my 4 chicks and their urban coop. They haven't started laying yet and with decreasing day light, I was wondering if I should turn on the light early morning to help kick off the egg production. I bought a red energy efficient light bulb since I heard that red color would be more calming than a bright white light. But thinking about it, maybe it wont wake them up and they'll keep sleeping! Anybody out there using a red lamp (no heat) to add light in the coop?
Good morning! Pullets do not need supplemental lighting their first year. They will lay through the winter regardless if they are of laying age. The next year, however, you can add some supplemental light so that they get 14 hours of light per day. I'm sorry, but I'm not certain if the color matters. I prefer to just let mine freeload and rest through the winter, but plenty of other folks will provide extra lighting. Hope this helped a bit.
