coop lighting

[looyates]

hi guys, do any of you have lighting in your coops? the guy i bought my house from advised me to get some sort of lighting so the girls would still lay through winter, i didnt think much about it at first because they havent event started yet, but i suppose we arnt long off october? i went onto the net and all i could find were these rooster booster kits for 95 quid which sound very expensive to me for a light and a battery. what do you guys use...if anything? thanks for your time, pats

[Birdie Wife]

Hi looyates,
I would advise against it - it's good to give the girls a break from laying during the winter, artificial lighting is used with battery hens to make them keep laying - I'm sure they have shorter lives as a result. As you say, it's a bit expensive. If you had a factory full of hens and you were selling eggs, it might be worth the money, but personally I say don't go there!

[terrier]

We always find that the chooks keep laying all winter, not as many eggs but we have too many eggs in the summer and give them away to all and sundry who wants them and through the winter we have enough just about to keep from buying any.

[looyates]

Thank you I wondered if i was getting a bit ahead of myself!! i suppose you could end up forking out for all sorts of garbage if you wer'nt careful (you being me ....its the way i talk...sorry) ive said it before i love this forum, id be lost without you guys, thanks for your time and replies.

[witch-1]

Just to add - chickens don't stop egg production in the winter it just lessens. I was told in the first year of a chicken to expect 6 eggs in the summer and 4 in the winter as an average.

So with 3 chooks my maths being correct thats still a dozen eggs a week!

I'm yet to get my 3 laying regularly but as its only week 3 since our first egg I am telling myself to be patient. Boy will you all know it when I get 3 eggs in one day lol. Could be today!

Jan

[looyates]

I know, I cant believe how impatient i am, i am so excited too, ive only had them two weeks, so ive got a way to go yet, have a good week pats

[Sue]

Hi
Yes, with Birdie Wife on this one, let them go with the flow, haven't been through the winter with mine yet, so we'll see how it goes.
And good luck on the egg front, it is so exciting when you get your first ones, and when they settle down into egg laying you do start to wonder what to do with them all, I've never eaten so many eggs in my life! Good time to invest in a few egg cookery books to search out multiple egg using recipes.
Sue

[TPeers]

Meringues, Custard tarts, omlets, souffles.........

[looyates]

Thats no problem, im a seasoned foo young cook!!!

[yoanbob]

if you wanted to you could give them a window so they get max light in the early mornings, there was another thread on here about it somwhere

[witch-1]

Now, correct me if I'm wrong...

1. its not 'quite' right to give artificial light in chicken houses to aid production of eggs.

2. chooks need a good deal of 'daylight' to be good layers

so, my nieve question!! would it be ok to give artificial light to outside area just to lengthen the winter hours?? I'm thinking of football pitches with floodlights so players can carry on... and I'm thinking of lights out by 7pm so a restful night is still had by all

Or is this just madness and just let chooks be chooks in our normal daylight hours!

Now, I'm not saying I'm thinking of doing this... just wondered if it would work and be ethical!
Jan