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Barnyard Buddies:  To light or not light....  |
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Woodswoman
True Blue Farmgirl
512 Posts
Jennifer
Altamont
NY
USA
512 Posts |
 Posted - Sep 29 2012 : 4:53:02 PM
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I have chickens for the first time this year, although I did have them when I was a kid. They just started laying within the past few weeks.
I'm trying to decide if I should give them extra light during the winter or not. I read in one of the chicken books I have that you can give them additional light during the winter, so you get eggs. But, they evolved to slow down laying during the shorter days, so that might be better for them - more natural.
What do you all think? And, what do you chicken owners do?
Jennifer
Farmgirl Sister #104
"Nature brings to every time and season some beauties of its own".
-Charles Dickens |
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oldbittyhen
True Blue Farmgirl
1511 Posts
tina
quartz hill
ca
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - Sep 29 2012 : 5:17:35 PM
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I have only done natural, they need a rest period to build back up for the natural laying season, I have found thru others mistakes that if you force with non-natural light, you will shorten their laying years...
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
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queenmushroom
True Blue Farmgirl
985 Posts
Lorena
Centerville
Me
USA
985 Posts |
Posted - Sep 30 2012 : 07:01:22 AM
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One thing a close friend of mine does is putting a wireless solar light in with hers. Being solar charged it will not last all night. Take them out and charge during the day. Just. A thought.
Patience is worth a bushel of brains...from a chinese fortune cookie |
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one_dog_per_acre
True Blue Farmgirl
1572 Posts
Trish
Sandpoint
ID
USA
1572 Posts |
Posted - Sep 30 2012 : 07:15:15 AM
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Equatorial chickens lay all year.
I am putting a light in my laying flock, but not my breeding flock.
“It always looks darkest just before it gets totally black.”-Charlie Brown |
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RedHoopWoman
True Blue Farmgirl
513 Posts
Kathryn
Yoder
Colorado
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - Sep 30 2012 : 12:37:41 PM
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I don't light my chicken coop anymore,I used to and kept track of laying rates but found that the increase wasn't worth the fire risk,besides,some go into molt naturally anyways,light or not and then have a lay-off during that time so I just get breeds that are known to be good winter layers like white or barred rocks and just take what I get and let them lay according to thier natural cycles.
I had a heat lamp in my goat shed short out and cause a smoldering fire which while it didn't really light up and burn the shed down sure caused alot of smoke that gave a few of my goats permanent lung damage so if you do rig up one of your outbuildings with a light,whether heat lamp or regular bulb please make sure it's wired well,has some kind of guard on it and is placed well out of animal's reach,it's sure nice to have lighting in your sheds but increases the risk of something going awry.
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut"
Nostalgic Needleworks http://www.etsy.com/shop/NostalgicNeedleworks |
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crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
Posted - Oct 02 2012 : 7:21:55 PM
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I wouldn't worry about their natural cycles since they have been selectively bred to be layers for so many years. I would think that the reason for them not laying in the winter is because it isn't good for chicks to hatch in the snow. Most laying hens have lost their instinct to set successfully. They already are bred to lay much longer than they did originally. I light my chicken house, and I give them extra vitamins year round and they do fine. It also adds a little warmth.
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
www.nmbarrelhorses.com |
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crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
Posted - Oct 02 2012 : 7:24:31 PM
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Scary about the fire Kathryn. I will double check my wiring tomorrow. Thanks for the heads up.
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
www.nmbarrelhorses.com |
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RedHoopWoman
True Blue Farmgirl
513 Posts
Kathryn
Yoder
Colorado
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2012 : 9:11:57 PM
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That's good to hear Laura,it's devastating to have your animals injured in such a way,I am so glad that the whole shed didn't go up but it blackened and charred the ceiling and would have gone up eventually if I hadn't discovered it so I just decided to forego the light in the chicken coop and take what I get throughout the winter.
I do agree with you that chickens have been bred lately to lay outside of their previous capacities but I think the heritage breeds still retain a good amount of their natural cycles and brooding capabilities,last October I had over thirty chicks hatched naturally with thier mother hens and they did great,even in the snowstorms,I was very impressed with the capabilities of my hens to hatch and maintain thier chicks even in some real terrible prairie weather,I was expecting alot of losses due to the cold.
I have a mixed flock of dominiques,white and barred rocks,blue wyandottes and dark cornish and all my roosters do the courting dance that has come to be bred out of alot of modern day flocks,I do love the heritage breeds for the traits they have retained that are missing in alot of the modern production types.
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut"
Nostalgic Needleworks http://www.etsy.com/shop/NostalgicNeedleworks |
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crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
Posted - Oct 05 2012 : 8:29:29 PM
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Yes I so agree. Without the courting dance the hens don't squat for mating and they end up all scratched up on their backs. I have had my gentlemanly white rooster for years. He's the best. Also my dad used to raise game chickens and they are sooo hearty. They used to sleep in the trees, which is why I don't raise them. They will eventually teach the whole flock to sleep in the trees. The owls like that. But the game chickens were so prolific. I have even seen them with chicks in 2 ft of snow.
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
www.nmbarrelhorses.com |
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StrawHouseRanch
True Blue Farmgirl
1044 Posts
Paula
Holt
Missouri
USA
1044 Posts |
Posted - Oct 11 2012 : 06:41:16 AM
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I didn't use artificial light last year (my first winter with chickens) and we got a steady supply of eggs all last winter. We don't sell eggs though, but only have the chickens for our own family egg supply though so a "drop" in production isn't that big of a deal for us. I'm more interested in keeping my girls natural, healthy and safe. 
Paula
Farmgirl Sister #3090
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a Gift.
"Look deep into Nature, and then you will understand everything better."--Albert Einstein
"A meal of bread, cheese and beer constitutes the perfect food." --Queen Elizabeth I
http://www.etsy.com/shop/StrawHouseDesigns |
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RedHoopWoman
True Blue Farmgirl
513 Posts
Kathryn
Yoder
Colorado
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - Oct 13 2012 : 12:58:26 PM
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Paula your chickens are very pretty,I love barred rocks.
Same as you,I don't sell eggs anymore so I just take what they give me,I've got some breeds that are good winter layers and we usually have enough to get by.
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut"
Nostalgic Needleworks http://www.etsy.com/shop/NostalgicNeedleworks |
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Woodswoman
True Blue Farmgirl
512 Posts
Jennifer
Altamont
NY
USA
512 Posts |
Posted - Oct 13 2012 : 3:53:21 PM
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Thanks for all of the input - gave me a lot to think about. For now, I think I'm not going to run a light out there. I don't sell my eggs, except sometimes the extras to coworkers, so it's not a big deal for me if it slows down. Thanks!!
Jennifer
Farmgirl Sister #104
"Nature brings to every time and season some beauties of its own".
-Charles Dickens |
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beavercreek
Farmgirl in Training
16 Posts
Angie
BC
Canada
16 Posts |
Posted - Oct 15 2012 : 9:58:22 PM
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We have to use heat(RED) lamps all winter in both sides of our coop because it can drop to -35 for over 2 weeks at least, but no "other" light. There is a window in it, but its not that big, and its too cold for them to even come out some weeks in winter...Me have really hot summmers and really cold winters, so they are already not perfect in their laying schedule...any eggs in winter are a bonus for us!!
~Lover of all thngs vintage & farmgirl~
xox
Ang
http://beavercreekhomestead.blogspot.ca |
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pinokeeo
True Blue Farmgirl
559 Posts
Phyllis
Oregon
USA
559 Posts |
Posted - Oct 27 2012 : 11:15:27 AM
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I don't have chickens anymore, so any information that I have is second hand. What I have heard from neighbors is that if you light the coop, their eggs will never get bigger. They need the off-season for growth.
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I cannot master those things that I have not tried.
check out my artfire: http://www.artfire.com/users/PiNOKEEOs |
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YakLady
True Blue Farmgirl
652 Posts
Natalie
Montana
USA
652 Posts |
Posted - Oct 27 2012 : 11:43:24 AM
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I add light with a Christmas light timer that senses when the sun 'goes down (around 2 pm in that spot, very shady in the afternoon) and then the light comes on for 6 hours. It works pretty well.
~Hen 4316~ Just a farmgirl in Western Montana.
Starting a family and raising up a small ranch using natural resources.
www.mydoterra.com/thurman |
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Barnyard Buddies: To light or not light.... |
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To light or not light....
