Winter coop lighting, what do you use?

[kelidei]

I use low wattage 60 or 40 watts.... either incandescent or cfl depending on what is available at the moment. I have them on timers. I just started turning them on about 2 wks ago and egg production jumped from 18 eggs to over 3 dozen a day... works everytime! I set them for 5 am to go off at 8am and then on again at 4pm until 7:30 pm

 

[birdmomma]

well darn - was going to use one of those rope lighting thingies. Good plan gone awry I guess. We're going to put in a "skylight" - one of those clear panels that come on some storage sheds. Not that that will solve the amount of daylight issue........

 

[captainroo2]

We use a 'Bucket light'; that is a 40 watt bulb in a 5 gallon bucket. Camper use these to light up the campsites without the glare of a light bulb. It works great.

 

[mommissan]

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Compact fluorescent bulbs have mercury in them. If they break, your birds will suffer from mercury exposure. Just be sure they can't reach it. I still wonder about those LED's.... $$$$$

 

[mommissan]

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Oooo, this would be interesting to know as well. I have one of those twisty bulbs in my coop and two of my three girls have stopped laying. For the life of me, I can't figure out why. It's very frustrating. If they don't lay in blue spectrum lighting this may be the reason. Although it wouldn't explain why by BA is still laying. Interesting....

I use a compact fluorescent. They lay every day and others are starting too. No problems.... so far

 

[Marcymom3]

We have a 60 watt incandescent bulb in a mechanic's lamp that hangs from a hook. It is on a timer set to come on at 3:30 a.m. and it goes off at 7:30 a.m. Later in the day it comes back on at 5:30 and off at 6:30 p.m.

 

[Judy]

40W incandescent set to come on early AM so they have 14 hours of light, in an 11x17 coop, in a double hung, metal shielded work light, mounted so they light doesn't shine in their eyes. I don't want the light suddenly going off in the evening after dark, although I've never watched on a dark night to see whether they get caught off the roost if this is done. I stocked up on low watt incandescents for the chickens when the fluorescents came out. Must have read that fluorescent won't work, or won't work as well, for laying. Guess I should research this.

 

[trooper]

I use a 15 watt yellow incadesence bulb.It comes on about 6 a/m and goes off about 7 p/m.I use the low power bulb so that I don't startle my chickens with a bright light and it gives them enough lite in the p/m to get settled in and wind down before it goes off.My egg production is good and I'm not scaring my birds.This also helps them going into the coop at night.

 

[Poultrycrazy mom]

We have 60 watt light bulbs and when its cold we use heat lamps to make them a little more comfy

 

[jeb251]

I use florecent plant lights 15 wats, here is the cool part
the power comes in and plugs in to an outdoor timer, a dusk till dawn sensor is plugged int the timer and the lights are pluged in to the sensor, the timer is set to come on at 6am and go off at 9pm so at 6am the lights come on as the timer is activated and the light sensor is activated because it is dark, when the sun comes out, the sensor is deactivated turning the lights off, when the sun goes down the sensor is again activated and the lights come on, at 9pm the timer is deactivated and the lights go off. completely automatic, maintenance free and energy efficient since the lights are only on when needed.