[lord flynn]

thought I would start a new thread on this and would like to thank Clansman for his advice on this so far. It has always bothered me that my poultry have such long dark nights in winter-where I am I really need them to eat to thrive. I am less bothered about egg production tbh but it would be a bonus.

Some people seem very adverse to this, thinking it will decrease the hens life because they are extrapolating from commercial est ups. Noone is advising that is what we should be doing, but the issue of stock going without food and water for so long in the depths of winter is one we should at least consider.

I found this link which is great:

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/09/supplemental-light-in-coop-why-how.html

and this, which is similar to what Clansman recommended in the duck thread.

http://www.reuk.co.uk/Solar-Powered-Poultry-Lighting.htm

I don't plan to have lights on after dark in the afternoons. I am not around to shut my poultry in after dark in the winter straight away, so might end up with confused chooks wandering about. I do plan to have it come on earlier in the morning though (which, as each pen has a male in it, I might regret but will help me get up in the morning). I am putting wall feeders and drinkers inside my houses-which I've not done before and I hope this will put off the starlings on the pen that has no roof as well, as well as solving the wet food problems in the winter. For the bachelor pen around the back, I might run lights on in the evening instead (pen is secure)-I hope to show these so they need to eat.

Anyway, I thought the chicken-chick link might be useful to folk

[Clarebelle]

Out of interest, why do you want them to be awake longer during the winter if not for egg production? Is it just because your worried they don't get the chance to eat enough?

[lord flynn]

yes basically although while I say I am not that bothered by egg production I mean I am not bothered by optimal egg production-a few more in the winter would be nice! If I could get them shut in earlier and get the lights to dim so they would roost safely I would probably go the whole hog.

 I live quite high up a very windy hill, its very exposed. Like everyone else last year, we had a bad December and as we had just moved in, we weren't prepared. I have breeds that aren't bothered by the wet so much as the constant wind.

I've built new pens, windbreaks, bought new coops, repaired old ones but they will still only get daylight from 8.45am to 3.45pm at the height of winter (and even then, its not all that light always) and couple that with endless winter lows coming in, I feel I could do better for them. I wouldnt expect to leave any other species without food and water for that long. I want them in good form for breeding early next year and some I want to show.

[Stereo]

It's a tricky one and I guess you just have to ask yourself why you are doing it. If it's for money then don't. But if you feel their welfare would be improved then maybe. That is a judgement that only you can make based on your surroundings / weather, as you mention.

I don't like it as a concept as it seems to be artificial but then chickens are not a native species to the UK. They are distant relatives of jungle fowl, who live in a far different climate.

I suppose my thinking on it is this. I have mostly pure breeds and I don't really want to do anything to encourage laying during the winter when eggs seem to be paler and demand from my egg box is much lower. I would rather they conserved all their resources for spring summer when they lay the best eggs and I have lots of demand. This does mean a long winter with lots of work and no income, hoping for a pay back the next year.

Secondly, I only really want my hens in the house to roost or to lay. I don't have huge houses so I don't want hens in there in artificial light, fighting and getting bored or feather pecking / whatever. I don't like to see hens in the house during the day unless it's raining or really windy. It just means more cleaning out.

I guess in a really harsh climate, if you had a BIG house / barn where they can have space and things to do, I can see the case for some lighting.

In a small house, the first thing to happen when I go in with a torch is bullying / pecking each other on roosts. I don't think it is anything I will ever do here in South Devon but I appreciate that things are different elsewhere.

[Marches Farmer]

I'm with SD on this.  I keep rare breed, heavy, soft-feathered fowl and the pullets will start to lay around Christmas from hatches in April, May and June.  Unless the hens are exceptionally good examples of their breed I sell all the previous year's hatch by November, but nothing stays for more than two years.  This keeps up egg production, means that the birds are young enough to put up with a couple of bad winters (we have high winds too) and I don't have to worry about additional lighting.

On the one hand we expect a lot more eggs from our hens than jungle fowl would produce, but on the other hand they don't have to forage all day to find food and it's all high value feed.  If you had three square meals a day or four smaller ones including a late supper you'd still be OK provided the daily calorie and nutritional value was roughly the same.

[lord flynn]

In a small house, the first thing to happen when I go in with a torch is bullying / pecking each other on roosts. I don't think it is anything I will ever do here in South Devon but I appreciate that things are different elsewhere.

this is my main concern I'll admit. Its something of an experiment and cheap enough for me to try out of interest.

[Stereo]

Best thing is to try it and monitor carefully.

[Womble]

I might have to try this, but not for the reasons already stated!

In my case, I'm getting more and more fed up with trying to keep on top of where our hens are laying! Every time I find a nest, they seem to go off and find somewhere else to lay. I've tried leaving rubber eggs, as well as placing strategic nestboxes around the garden in the hope they might use them.

I just wonder if lighting them up for a couple of hours each morning before they're let out might force encourage them to lay in the henhouse!

What does everybody think?

[Marches Farmer]

I believe ducks lay in the morning but hen egg production takes around 25 hours, so the hens will lay later every day then skip a day.  Maybe they don't like the nest boxes?  Are there enough for several to be laying at the same time?  Quiet and well bedded?  Red mite? 

[lord flynn]

are the nest boxes dark enough Womble? even when I make sure the coops are dark, they only use those nest boxes furthest from the door/window. I use curtains on mine (hessian sacks that I replace regularly)

[Womble]

Yes, plenty dark enough.  There are also lots of other places about that I've engineered, but they'll use them for a week but then go someplace else (and they have a LOT of options!) once they figure out that I've spotted them! 

[Victorian Farmer]

Iv gone leds 12 v  the 1 solar pannal 150 whot into the change over box onto a heavey dutie batteri will run for a week whith just bad light .The lot of e bay cost just over £160 the pannal was second hand it should be a 250 whot but its ok .My pens 28 ft by 8 pawerd by wood burner .Condition is my thing good strong stock .

[vfr400boy]

To day I have bought a solar panel and 240v out side light but bought a 12v bulb for it just need a car batt now and some kind ov timer , what timers do you guys use ? 

[Womble]

There are various ways to do the timer. I've used something like this in the past - cheap and cheerful, but worked well.

[vfr400boy]

Looks spot on that ! Thanks