When to turn the lights on? ACK!! post 29

[canesisters]

The hens will roost all night regardless of the light. I don't understand the worry of when it turns off.

It's not so much them being in the dark, as it is them not getting settled before the light suddenly goes out.
My dim string of solar Christmas lights only provides just enough light for me to do a head count and make sure the auto-door is shut. It comes on at dusk and burns a couple hours - depending on how much sun the charger has gotten that day. I don't think it'll have any effect at all on egg production since I currently have 10 hens - 3 under 6 months old, 4 molting hard, 3 possibly molting.... I get 1 egg daily - on a good day.

 

[so lucky]

I feel your pain, Canesister. None of my 2 and a half year old girls are laying; just finishing up their molt. The six newbies probably won't lay till spring. Well, except the roo.
And, my goodness, I didn't realize how much extra poo 6 new chicks would add to the coop. Pew--ee!

 

[thistlebloom]

I feel your pain, Canesister. None of my 2 and a half year old girls are laying; just finishing up their molt. The six newbies probably won't lay till spring. Well, except the roo.
And, my goodness, I didn't realize how much extra poo 6 new chicks would add to the coop. Pew--ee!

So you mean your roo will be laying before spring?

 

[baymule]

you beat me to it!

 

[so lucky]

Yeah, he's gonna be really handy! (Talk about a dual-purpose bird!)

 

[thistlebloom]

The eggs are starting to trickle in! The brown Leghorn has laid two eggs, on consecutive days, ( and apparently she's exhausted already because she has taken about 4 days off ) one of the young Black laced Red Wyandottes laid one yesterday, and my old Golden Sebright laid one today. I can't wait to be buried in eggs!

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

I feel your pain, Canesister. None of my 2 and a half year old girls are laying; just finishing up their molt. The six newbies probably won't lay till spring. Well, except the roo.
And, my goodness, I didn't realize how much extra poo 6 new chicks would add to the coop. Pew--ee!

So you mean your roo will be laying before spring?

heh, he may be laying in freezer camp if you plan on sending him there for not giving you any eggs by next spring!

 

[journey11]

After reading this thread, I've decided I should change mine to morning. I had it on evening because it did seem to help bring them home from free-ranging. The interior of the coop is small, so they're either on the roost or right next to it, so that wasn't a concern. But the problem I was having was that they were laying very late in the day, nearly at dusk. In freezing weather this would be a problem, not finding the eggs until the next day they would freeze and burst. Good discussion!

Glad to hear your girls are getting down to business and making some breakfast for you now. After a year of storebought eggs, I don't know now how I ever survived!

 

[thistlebloom]

The eggs are starting to trickle in! The brown Leghorn has laid two eggs, on consecutive days, ( and apparently she's exhausted already because she has taken about 4 days off ) one of the young Black laced Red Wyandottes laid one yesterday, and my old Golden Sebright laid one today. I can't wait to be buried in eggs!

Those girls are so BAD! I was straightening up in the chicken pen this morning and noticed the plastic that I had wrapped the little doghouse in for the winter ( long story, but it's out there for Sweetpeas broody times...) had come unstapled around the entry. I went to get the stapler, came back and the hole was bigger. Scratched my head, and decided I should peek in before stapling it up tight.
Yep! There in the very dark back I saw a white ear, stuck my arm in and the brown leghorn came clattering out! Felt around and found a nest positively brimming with eggs! A dozen were the leghorns and there were a few Wyandotte pullet eggs and a couple Sebrights.

So that's what they've been up too! It does make a cozy dark place for laying. I think I will need to fortify it with some wire because right now as I look out the window I can see that sassy leghorn milling around in front of it.

I took a few burlap bags and made curtains for the nest boxes so they have more dark and privacy in there. Of course the new arrangement will probably make them suspicious and put them off laying...

And speaking of lighting - I woke up at 2:30 this morning and looked out and the chickens light was on! Whaaat the? It's set for 4:30, and I have no idea what happened. It turned off by 3 then came on at 4:30 when it's supposed to. The other day I was in the coop at noon and the light was on. Seems one of the timer pins got pushed down somehow. The only thing I can think of was that there must be some kind of flapping and jostling going on and the hens are bumping the timer. The roof is low back there where the cord comes through the wall and there is no other place to conveniently put the timer, so I'm going to have to fortify that too. sigh Who knows how long that's been going on. I'm wreaking havoc with their little internal clocks.

 

[NwMtGardener]

Hahaha, that story really made me giggle, Thistle!! Owning chickens sounds like a constant adventure, some day i'll have to live somewhere i can have them!!