| Author |
Barnyard Buddies:  Light for chickens in winter  |
|
|
StrawHouseRanch
True Blue Farmgirl
1044 Posts
Paula
Holt
Missouri
USA
1044 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 18 2011 : 06:43:12 AM
|
I'm still working through what I need to do for my girls this winter. One of the things I've heard and read about is to turn a light on in the morning to encourage the chickens to rise and shine and lay their eggs before we head off to work. I don't intend to run an electric cord out to the coop to power a light bulb, but I was thinking about using a battery powered or better yet, solar powered light source like a camp lantern. My question is, do they react to any particular kind of light differently than others or is it just light in general, and how bright does the light need to be in your experience? We are up at 4:30 and out the door by 7:00 a.m. Is it too rude to go flip on a light at 4:30 a.m. to wake up the chickens?
Paula
Farmgirl Sister #3090
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a Gift.
|
|
|
homsteddinmom
True Blue Farmgirl
441 Posts
Brandee
bullard
tx
USA
441 Posts |
Posted - Oct 18 2011 : 06:50:08 AM
|
I would set it on a timer! but i run mine 24/7
Homesteading Mom in East Texas. Raising chickens, Rabbits and goats here on my farm! |
 |
|
|
sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Oct 18 2011 : 06:59:16 AM
|
i am sure others will comment also. i use a 60 watt bulb in my coop. it is on a timer. i would flip the light when you get up they require 16 hours of light to trigger chick laying eggs. they need to think its spring. the light is the trick to keep them from molting. hope this helps you some. happy days herrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
|
|
|
|
grace gerber
True Blue Farmgirl
2804 Posts
grace
larkspur
colorado
USA
2804 Posts |
Posted - Oct 18 2011 : 07:41:15 AM
|
My hens get a heat lamp for the chilly nights that are now upon us - they love it and I should have started soon because my girls started to molt some.. When I hit the deep cold months I run the heat lamp 24/7 and if the temps get below zero I use two heat lamps. I find it a small price to pay for healthy, warm hens and to keeep my egg production going during the baking months. I also found they are less aggressive with the heat lamps...
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep
http://www.larkspurfunnyfarm.etsy.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.blogspot.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.artfire.com
|
|
|
|
Megan
True Blue Farmgirl
155 Posts
Megan
Hudson
South Dakota
USA
155 Posts |
Posted - Oct 18 2011 : 09:28:44 AM
|
we give our chickens a simple light, with our heavy breeds this seems to keep them laying, for our marans it does nothing, maybe we should try a heat lamp.
if you have ducks and would like to keep them laying give them extra protein and a light we have had duck eggs through thanksgiving and getting eggs again around new year.
www.rockriverexoticsandkennel.net |
|
|
|
batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Oct 18 2011 : 11:40:29 AM
|
Any light will do but you want something bright enough for them to think its day time something like the energy saver 60 watts will work....& no its not bad to switch it on....but i do recommend not placing it right over their perch area....maybe near their feed/water area....During the winter I have one of those daylight lights that gives off the UV rays & have it on a timer that goes on about6 a.m. & goes off at 7 p.m......It is good for warming the coop a little bit as well....I have mine set up over the feed area with a 1/2 wall from ceiling down separating the roost area...this way they are not shocked?spooked when it goes on or off...I have reptile heating lamps with no light over the roost area for them as well...some people keep them on longer but I have noticed my hens still lay with it on only 13 hours & get a good nights sleep when its off...during the dark cold days they can still rest on the roost or in the nest without the light being in their eyes....Michele'
Chickens rule!
The Old Batz Farm
Hen #2622 |
|
|
|
oldbittyhen
True Blue Farmgirl
1511 Posts
tina
quartz hill
ca
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - Oct 18 2011 : 3:25:38 PM
|
I do not understand the reason behind forced egg production with artifical light, its not natural, and is not that differant than factory egg farms. Forceing your hens to lay is stressful when instinct tells them to slow down for the winter, it also shortens their egg production years, if you want eggs all year long from all or part of your hens, why not get egg prodution hens like "sexlinks" or "stars"...just my opinion
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
|
|
|
grace gerber
True Blue Farmgirl
2804 Posts
grace
larkspur
colorado
USA
2804 Posts |
Posted - Oct 18 2011 : 8:19:40 PM
|
Tina - My hens slow down on egg production during the winter even with the heat lamps and what I do is have several perch areas along with their nests which gives them plenty of spots to pick from when wishing to get away from the light. I tried repital lights in the beginning but for some reason they kept breaking and having shards all in my deep winter bedding was a mess - do you know what might have been the issue?? The manufacture said they where not meant to be in such cold housing but rather more for house settings... I am trying to figure out a way to limit any drafts from the doorway. Hung plastic inside last year but the nose of the plastic moving scared them. They picked at the foam which I thought it was not good for them to eat, so I am still thinking - any suggestions?
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep
http://www.larkspurfunnyfarm.etsy.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.blogspot.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.artfire.com
|
|
|
|
StrawHouseRanch
True Blue Farmgirl
1044 Posts
Paula
Holt
Missouri
USA
1044 Posts |
Posted - Oct 19 2011 : 06:49:37 AM
|
Hi Girls! Thank you for all of the information. Well, it was still rather dark when we headed out this morning, but the henladies were already up and about. If they continue to get up and going before we leave, then I will just make a last minute check of the nest boxes before we hit the road in the morning and won't feel the need to add a light. If they lay after we leave and the eggs freeze, then I'll just use them for a nice batch of cookies. I didn't use a light for them when they were babies, but opted to instead place their brooder near an open window in the garage and gave them an EcoGlow to huddle under. They did great that way, and got to experience daylight and dark naturally. I'm thinking I'm going to set up their EcoGlow in their coop as a heat source during the coldest days and get my money's worth out of it!! They can't huddle under it anymore, obviously, but they can benefit from the radiant heat by huddling nearby...and probably on top.
Oh, I found this really nice place online that offers some nice products and ideas for wintering your chickens:
http://www.shopthecoop.com/
Paula
Farmgirl Sister #3090
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a Gift.
|
|
|
|
sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Oct 19 2011 : 07:22:02 AM
|
paula thanks for the link. i bookmarked it. there are some great products on there. eggs that freeze crack open paula. then they are exposing the inside of the egg to e- coli and other stuff in the nest box. even small cracks allow microbes to get in. i do not keep cracked or dirty eggs. we sell a lot of eggs. our girls are what are called red star sexlinks. tough strong girls. ours do have extra light no heat. they are in a insulated coop. when it is super cold they generate heat from each chicken. a chicken puts out about 5 btu's an hour. a woman at marthas vineyard heats her green house with chickens. we do supply a warm floor with shavings and straw. sun in early a.m. through south and east windows. ours are fed a nutrient rich diet and some still molt. i need eggs year round. we sell around 5 dozen a day. our customers come and buy milk eggs meat soap what ever we have we market. eggs are a great seller. yes my girls do work hard. they helped us pay our house payments while we fought unemployment for 4 months. eggs are a profit making part of this farm as is our jersey milk. which i have none now due to treating for mastitus. anyway hope this helps. jmo happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
|
|
|
|
StrawHouseRanch
True Blue Farmgirl
1044 Posts
Paula
Holt
Missouri
USA
1044 Posts |
Posted - Oct 19 2011 : 07:47:53 AM
|
Sherrye,
Thank you so much for the info about cracked eggs. I will definitely avoid using any eggs that are cracked. I have so much to learn!! You all are so helpful. I'm so glad to have so many nice sisters.
Paula
Farmgirl Sister #3090
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a Gift.
|
|
|
|
oldbittyhen
True Blue Farmgirl
1511 Posts
tina
quartz hill
ca
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - Oct 19 2011 : 08:54:43 AM
|
Useing heat lamps, are differant than useing lights, heat lamps/bulbs are usually red, they do not force un-natural behavier, when winter is comeing, I stack straw bales on the outside of the coop, and cover with heavy black plastic, that insulates the coop, and since the bales are covered, they last the winter, and I use the straw for many things all year long, so there is no waste...
frozen eggs in the winter can be eliminated also by good insulation, also a ceiling fan on low, in the up draft position, will also help prevent frozen eggs by air movement...
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
|
|
|
SheilaC
True Blue Farmgirl
1948 Posts
Sheila
Vermont
USA
1948 Posts |
Posted - Oct 19 2011 : 8:34:35 PM
|
winter is a tough one, especially here in VT where we have looooooong stretches of super cold weather. I'm not concerned about them staying warm, though, in the coop the body heat they generate is amazing (just stick your fingers inside the feathers and feel their skin even when temps outside are -20 It's amazing. The frozen/broken eggs. . .kind of a pain, we try to check for eggs several times a day, especially on those super cold days, but even so, some end up in the compost b/c they freeze before we get to them. We do use a light, just a cheap lightbulb that we turn on for a couple of hours a day to keep them laying--
Another thing about those cold temps is the water freezing (and they still drink a lot of water in the winter!!) We have a heated dog bowl that we bought at TSC--it was so cheap, like less than $20 and even in the amazingly cold weather the water stays mostly liquid! That was the best purchase ever!!
http://troutwife.blogspot.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/brooktroutwife |
|
|
|
batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Oct 20 2011 : 05:58:00 AM
|
There was a comment made up above that I would like to speak on....Chickens have so many eggs they will lay during their life...no more no less even if you have a winter light on them.......letting your chickens rest during the winter is great for people like me who has only me & hubby to feed but with families sometimes you have to do the lights for the food/eggs. And yes the red heat lamps do not force chickens to keep laying but are good for keeping water from freezing, creating heat in a coop that stays too cold for too long & helping baby chicks under 2 months to survive since they tend to not roost but stay at ground level where its colder for them.....I have found that by using the daylight lights that my chickens are less likely to pull out feathers of others because they are bored...plus they eat more since they can see where the feed & water is located so they tend to have less sickness.....Like the hen from Vermont we have some heavy winters where the chickens will not go outside so i make sure they are still active by having the light on in the coop for them.....the longer they are inactive the more you have to worry about weakness/food turning to fat, injures/illness......but chickens have gone many many years before electricity surviving but no one wants to go out & see a chicken with a broken leg cause it roosted most of the season & has no fragile bones, frost bite or a running nose or eyes....I have hens that are over 7 yrs old that still lay occasionally where as the youn's decide they don't want to lay.....As I always say do what you think it right for you....no matter what you decide you have to do the right thing for you & your family....Michele'
Chickens rule!
The Old Batz Farm
Hen #2622 |
|
|
|
grace gerber
True Blue Farmgirl
2804 Posts
grace
larkspur
colorado
USA
2804 Posts |
Posted - Oct 20 2011 : 06:43:58 AM
|
I had a question about the red heat lamps - I found my hens got too aggressive in the red light so I went back to the regular light heat lamps. Has others had that issue??
Next question has anyone used pine needles in their winter bedding?? My girls love sitting in them when they are one the ground and was wondering if that might be a nice addition to their winter bedding - you know something for them to play with during the boring months. I place their favorite dried mint in their coop which gives a great smell in the coop but also they love the nibbles..
As for broken eggs I check on the hens so many times during the day and even the night that I think I only lost a couple thru the whole winter time. I have one trick I place pieces of old thrift store wool sweaters in the bottom of the nesting boxes and then deep straw which seems to retain the heat so the eggs say nice and warm during my checks.
Does any others have special tricks for winter??
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep
http://www.larkspurfunnyfarm.etsy.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.blogspot.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.artfire.com
|
|
|
|
StrawHouseRanch
True Blue Farmgirl
1044 Posts
Paula
Holt
Missouri
USA
1044 Posts |
Posted - Oct 20 2011 : 07:12:46 AM
|
Grace that is a great idea about the wool sweaters. We were just talking about that kind of fabric that is used for blankets they put on people when they are in shock and were wondering if it would retain heat enough to keep the eggs from freezing, if it was placed under the straw in the nest box. Since we both work during the day, it is impossible to check for eggs frequently. For some reason...being the newbie, I always thought chickens lay pretty much either in the morning or in the late afternoon...but not spread out throughout the day. It sounds like they could get the urge to lay just about any time?? Our girls spend their day "downstairs" even in inclement weather, which is an area directly below their roosts. So far they only go up to the "roost room" which also holds the nest boxes, in the evening. But they haven't started laying yet. They have quite a large little area below, since it was originally a chicken tractor to hang out in throughout the day if they don't want to go out in the yard and get lots of natural light there. When we add wind blocks for the winter, I'm going to use some material that lets light in so it won't be totally dark in there. I think pine needles would be nice if you had access to them and would certainly smell good. I'm going to add a lot of wood shavings for them to snuggle in for the cold days ahead.
I love the heated dog dish idea. We are going to put some conduit into the coop and thread the power cord for the dog dish into that to keep them from pecking at that big black worm on the floor. We also use extension cord plug covers that are weatherproof to keep water out of the plugs where the water trough and the dog dish will plug into. You can get them on Amazon and sometimes at the hardware store.
Paula
Farmgirl Sister #3090
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a Gift.
|
|
|
|
magnoliakathy
True Blue Farmgirl
453 Posts
Kathryn
Magnolia
Texas
USA
453 Posts |
Posted - Oct 20 2011 : 07:15:44 AM
|
I use a photocell timer, set it for 6 hours, it comes on at dusk and goes off when the time is up (got it at Lowe's with the Christmas lights display) I leave a single red light on all night all year,over by the feeders, it does not disturb their sleep, but it does prevent broken necks. Sometimes the hens get jostled off the roost and break their necks when they try to fly back up in the dark.
When you free your mind your heart can fly. Farmgirl # 714, |
|
|
|
SheilaC
True Blue Farmgirl
1948 Posts
Sheila
Vermont
USA
1948 Posts |
|
|
plantcarazy
True Blue Farmgirl
116 Posts
Jenn
Montana
USA
116 Posts |
Posted - Oct 25 2011 : 6:15:32 PM
|
Have any of you tried a ceramic heat emitter before? Does not give off light, but heat only. I have been thinking of trying it out.....
......Born again Farmgirl |
|
|
|
oldbittyhen
True Blue Farmgirl
1511 Posts
tina
quartz hill
ca
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - Oct 25 2011 : 6:57:25 PM
|
Jenn, anything that creats heat, can also burn and start fires, it would need to be placed out of reach by nosy hens, and caged so they can not burn themselves, also make sure it can not come into contact with anything that will burn, which is pretty much everything in a coop...othwise, insulateing works well also...
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
|
|
|
batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Oct 26 2011 : 07:54:08 AM
|
Jenn go to the 1st page of this & see about the ceramic heat lamps I wrote about....I love them but like with everything there are pre cautions but it might help you....Michele'
Chickens rule!
The Old Batz Farm
Hen #2622 |
|
|
|
grace gerber
True Blue Farmgirl
2804 Posts
grace
larkspur
colorado
USA
2804 Posts |
Posted - Oct 26 2011 : 07:57:36 AM
|
That sure is right - a neighbor up the way used one of those and it caught the straw on fire - not sure how but their whole coop went up before they could get it put out - needless to say they lost all their sweet one's and crushed their spirits.. I also had a dear friend who used one in a lambing jug and the same thing happened... I would be very very very careful with those. The heat lamps I use are the regular kind and I placed them so high up that they can not be reached and I have a wired grid over them and then I also tie them into the beams so there is not chance of them falling. I guess you might say I am a worry wart but after seeing the horrors of a fire I make darn sure that I have covered my bases. It is a fine line we walk to keep our sweet one warm.
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep
http://www.larkspurfunnyfarm.etsy.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.blogspot.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.artfire.com
|
|
|
|
StrawHouseRanch
True Blue Farmgirl
1044 Posts
Paula
Holt
Missouri
USA
1044 Posts |
Posted - Oct 26 2011 : 08:25:46 AM
|
You all are making me very nervous about heating my coop!! How do the cardinals and finches survive in the winter without heated coops? I guess the wild ones are tougher...or maybe they don't all survive.
Paula
Farmgirl Sister #3090
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a Gift.
|
|
|
|
plantcarazy
True Blue Farmgirl
116 Posts
Jenn
Montana
USA
116 Posts |
Posted - Oct 26 2011 : 11:07:14 AM
|
Thank you ladies for your replies! I will keep a ceramic heat emitter handy (and in a brooder caged light fixture, for more safety, and wipe it off daily to keep the dust off), but will not use it unless the extreme temp conditions come then. I have a remote thermometer in the coop, so I can monitor the temp. inside, and have been practicing deep litter methods to help retain heat as well. I guess I'll see what this winter throws at me :-) Thanks again!
......Born again Farmgirl |
Edited by - plantcarazy on Oct 26 2011 11:08:11 AM |
|
|
|
batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Oct 27 2011 : 12:55:41 PM
|
If you are really worried about using heat lamps...just add big bunches of hay down on their floor areas....I have had hens who instead of roosting dug tunnels in the hay & slept in there when it was really cold...pre- heating lamp time.....its actually quite cute to come out & see all your hens buried in the hay with just a head or beak peeking out.....this is also good for the young'ins who get kicked off the roost...I have an area full of hay just for them if they need it...yes they will scratch thur it during the day but I just bunch it back up before the go to bed for any young'ins who want it....Michele'
Chickens rule!
The Old Batz Farm
Hen #2622 |
|
|
| |
Barnyard Buddies: Light for chickens in winter |
|
Light for chickens in winter
