Light in chicken Coops

[Bephlam]

Welcome to the Vine!

I have the cables, etc in the shed ready to be connected up to the mains....however, it's been there nearly 2 years....and I still have no light!! I echo what the rest of the grapes say though, I prefer to allow the birds to slow down as the light dictates.

I'm still installing my light though, but more so I can easily do head counts and checks at night....nothing to do with prolonging laying season.

[its hilly]

Hiya, I started with two ex-bats and one of their daughters, sadly lost to Mr Fox
1 year on and now have
..3 e-bay specials (were supposed to be pure orp but werent but are gorgeous anyway) 1 blue, 1 splash, 1 charcol grey
..4 hybrids (offspring of the original 3 ex-bats) 2red 2 cream
..2 bantam Buff Orps
..2 bantam cuckoo Marans
..3 Silver Sussex
..2 porcelaine sablepoot bantams
..3 black plymouth rock bantams
..6 cream legbar (blue eggs)
..1 mrs hen maran x I think
..5 rhode island red 6wks old
..6 buff cochin 6wks old .........and two geese....no chooks arent addictive. I could give them up anytime

[MaureenHall]

no chooks arent addictive. I could give them up anytime

Liar liar pants on fire!!!!! Think you should go to the norty step too, I'll tell Eco to budge up a bit

[lesleygl]

I'm addicted and I haven't got any chickens/hens yet, but check Rule the Roost every day!!

[gemtheblonde]

Lol WOW! hilly you have a serious amount of Chickens there!!!

thanks for the tips on the blue egg layers - i shall do my research and see where i can get those breeds from my area!

cant wait - i actually think im looking forwards to this more than my hols next week! lol

think i will; spend my lunch hour reading through the previous threads for some helpful info too! thank you SO much for all of your comments tho - much appreciated!

Bephlam, i saw the pics of your featherless chooks - bless them, will be getting chilly bums in this weather!

Gemma

[jimred]

Chooks are the biggest time wasters ever and great fun, iv had bantams for 3 months, It was going to be two, but advice from this forum increased to 3.

now i have 7 girls and 2 coops/runs, my OH now has the bug for them getting home early afternoon to let them free range and text me with a egg update.

i do have one girl who's not 100%, she been on baytril for 4 days, her sneezing has stopped but she still shakes her head alot and her bill is slightly open most of the time.

any idea's

[frias]

Hi Gemtheblonde and welcome to the vine. I put a solar shed light in my coop so I could see chooks at night if I needed to. It doesn't give up much light though and it's easier to use a torch. In fact I kept finding the light on and realised the girls were pulling the cord themselves and switching it on. I've had to tie the cord out the way. I wouldn't put a light to increase laying as I have ex-batts and think they deserve a rest. Having said that they laid well all last winter anyway.

[Flummery]

Hi and can I echo the welcome from everyone else here?
I've got 4 hybrids bought at point of lay in April - They are the sort that are usually bred for the battery cages. I think ex-batts have health problems because of the lighting at night - they just about lay themsleves to death. Ours that don't get artificial light are allowed a natural rest when their own bodies need one. Much better for the chickens I'm sure.

[bluemoon]

I'd agree, no artificial lighting except perhaps one of those battery operated jobbies so you can see what you're doing in winter and switch it off again when you're done. We have 6 Marans, which were my first choice, plus a cockerel. Then one day when I was at the farm buying a new feeder 3 Rhode Island Reds and 2 Gold-Tops jumped into the boot and hid. Then I needed a cockerel to keep the Rhodies company, and the Gold-tops are in with a third cockerel, so now my original plan for 6 has reached 14 and I only got the first ones in April. Of them all I think I like the Rhodies the best and I've plans for chicks from them in spring so numbers will definitely increase again.
If I was buying hybrids I'd go for Bluebelles and Amber Stars, I just think both are so attractive.

[Bephlam]

Hiya, I started with two ex-bats and one of their daughters, sadly lost to Mr Fox
1 year on and now have
..3 e-bay specials (were supposed to be pure orp but werent but are gorgeous anyway) 1 blue, 1 splash, 1 charcol grey
..4 hybrids (offspring of the original 3 ex-bats) 2red 2 cream
..2 bantam Buff Orps
..2 bantam cuckoo Marans
..3 Silver Sussex
..2 porcelaine sablepoot bantams
..3 black plymouth rock bantams
..6 cream legbar (blue eggs)
..1 mrs hen maran x I think
..5 rhode island red 6wks old
..6 buff cochin 6wks old .........and two geese....no chooks arent addictive. I could give them up anytime

and soon to be one Mr Festher (Maran X Araucana)....he'll be a lovely boyfriend for Mrs Hen!

[MrsC]

I only wanted 3, got 8 hybrids and 2 chicks! Would get some more tomorrow if I had the house and run built!