Artificial Lighting

[rick]

Hi antonis,
Lights interest me because I am out 8 hours a day and when the days get shorter in the winter I would hardly ever see my chickens awake! Marigold has mentioned more commercial chicken keeping in an earlier thread and, I think, barn style farming where it's possible to turn the lights off abruptly because there's not going to roost on perches to worry about. I have been using halogen lights that turn off one by one to mimic sunset at a later time but I am presuming from your earlier posts that you also have a fairly natural (not intensive) set up so it will be very interesting to hear how you do it.
Also you say 'younger or older' have you found differences in how they respond to light?

Use the reply button antonis. That way you won't start a new thread each time you post

 

[antonis]

Hello my friend

You're right when you say that the pullets react differently from older hens. Within the all pullet brain there is a pituitary gland, like microchips, beginning to mature at the age of 15 weeks. This is achieved by increasing the length of the light. So we have to buy pullets or chicks that are born in early spring. So when you are 15 weeks and the hours of the day continues to grow properly is maturing and after few weeks given signal the ovaries so that they begin to produce eggs.

 

[rick]

It's interesting how artificial ways of maximising production is practically always about providing ideal natural conditions. My hybrids moulted and stopped laying almost exactly at 18 months as autumn arrived. As they were commercial eggs they had been timed to hatch at the ideal moment in spring.
Very like planting a vegetable crop!
I think it's 14 hours or more of daylight to keep the laying hormones going. I'm staying under 14 hours with lights (about 12) because I want them to have a bit of a rest in winter. Couldn't afford to do that as a buisinees though. I'm sure the light would make a difference normally but it seems that hybrids would almost keep laying in the dark, at least until 18 months.