Will a Red light at night force pullets to lay sooner?

[BWchicken]

I hope the answer is no. My bantam pullets aren't laying yet and I don't want to rush them. They are 20 weeks old, but I would prefer them to lay naturally as the days get longer. However, I've been using a 100-watt red light for heat the last two nights and I'm wondering whether that will affect their point of lay. Or does only a white light do that? I want their point of lay to happen naturally so I'm hoping the red light won't affect them too much.

Thanks!

 

[rancher hicks]

I don't know but I put one in and they seem to be doing better. It's pretty cold here.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I think the light must be a white light to simulate daylight. Some folks even say it has to be a light that has all the colors of the rainbow...like a grow light...but I don't think that is the case.

When I managed a thoroughbred horse farm I foaled hundreds of mares and we used a red light in the foaling stalls. The reason mares usually foal at night is because pitocin is produced by the brain (this is the hormone that stimulates labor) when the eyes dilate due to low light. It is reported that you can delay a mares labor by using regular light bulbs. Don't know by how much, but we always used the red lights and the mares usually foaled right on time.

 

[Chickie'sMoma]

i've heard white to lay, red to keep from picking on others but it won't stimulate them to lay.

 

[cmom]

They will lay when they are ready. I have always kept night lights in all of my coops and some are laying machines and others aren't. I had red lights but they burnt out and I replaced the bulbs with regular 7 watt white light and have seen no difference in the birds laying. My ISA Brown pullets started laying at 16 weeks and my RIRs started at 17 weeks but most started to lay between 20 to 24 weeks.