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What light is best for laying hens. Conclusions on daylight hours for laying hens

Chicken is considered an unpretentious bird. But experienced poultry farmers say that certain rules in keeping feathered pets, it is simply necessary to do so. One of these requirements ischicken coop lighting.

The efficiency of poultry farming directly depends on the correct lighting. Beginners in poultry breeding often do not pay enough attention to installing lamps in the chicken coop. Some are convinced that lighting is required only for their own convenience.

Important! You should know that high-quality lighting is definitely provides beneficial influence and on the chickens themselves.

Therefore, every caring chicken coop owner should analyze in advance all the details of lighting, at any time of the year and day. If you have the necessary information, it is not difficult to set up a chicken coop with proper lighting yourself and without unnecessary effort.

In chickens, adequate lighting affects the timeliness of development. For full development, as well as active growth, daylight hours should last about 10-12 hours.

Thanks to proper lighting, chickens produce hormones that stimulate puberty.

For a young brood that is raised exclusively for meat, daylight hours should last no more than 16 hours. This regime contributes to its better development, as well as intensive growth of meat.

Chicken coop lighting summer time should include adjustment of light intensity, namely its reduction or complete absence. If the chickens are outside during the day, natural sunlight is sufficient.

By adjusting the brightness and duration of light at certain hours, we control the lifestyle of birds, namely:

feeding time;
raising young animals;
onset of puberty and timing of egg laying;
annual molting process.

Important! The owner of the chicken coop needs to extend the daylight hours of the chickens so that they can spend it fully, observing all the rules and regime.

Ideally, the lighting schedule for feathered pets looks like the table below. In this way we prepare the bird for rapid growth and productivity.

Table 1. Lighting schedule

Age, weeks	Dark block, number of hours	Daylight hours
1-2	0-1	23-24 hours
3	8	From 9:00 to 1:00
4	10	From 9:00 to 23:00
5	12	From 9:00 to 21:00
6	14	From 9:00 to 19:00
From 7 to 18	15	From 9:00 to 18:00
19	14	From 8:00 to 18:00
20	13	From 8:00 to 19:00
21	11	From 6:00 to 19:00
22	9	From 4:00 to 19:00
From 25 onwards	8	From 3:00 to 19:00

What does light affect?

When we make daylight hours longer, we thereby increase the period active image bird life. Illumination for chickens provides undeniable advantages:

not only the number of eggs increases, but also their quality: weight, density and size;
the growth of laying hens becomes noticeably faster, and their development also improves;
the number of injuries associated with poor lighting decreases;
in laying hens the period of egg production increases;
thanks to lighting, food is better absorbed;
The survival rate of chickens is significantly increased.

This confirms that correct lighting provides the best productivity. In addition to the above advantages, this is smart from an economic point of view. It is much more profitable to supply electricity to one chicken flock once than to start a new one.

Extending daylight hours in the chicken coop is simply necessary to ensure egg production in winter. Inadequate lighting can negatively affect the health of birds and even threaten to reduce the egg production of birds. But you should know thata chicken, like any living creature, simply needs rest, which can only be provided by complete darkness. Therefore, the light in the chicken coop should be completely turned off periodically.

Important! During periods of darkness, bone tissue develops, calcium metabolism improves (affects), and important components of the immune system are produced.

Taking this into account, the conclusion follows that you cannot leave the light on for a day, since chickens, in principle, will not be able to produce healthy offspring, gain weight and be healthy.

Excessive brightness of light is also unacceptable, as this can lead to aggression and anxiety. Bright light negatively affects their natural biorhythms and psyche. Therefore, in order not to risk the health of your pets, the brightness of the light should be soft and adjustable.

The importance of additional lighting in winter

With the arrival of winter, the chicken coop becomes the main place where the chickens are constantly, around the clock.

In winter, sunny days are significantly reduced, which is why it is very important to provide your pets with the right additional lighting at this time of year.

Initially, according to its physiology. Since in winter time There is very little light, you need to provide the bird with the necessary lighting.

Initially, the process of laying eggs in chickens occurs solely for the purpose of procreation, but in winter this instinct in birds is automatically suspended.

But it is possible to outwit nature by creating for your chickens eternal spring, regardless of the time of year outside the window with using artificial lighting.

When planning the winter lighting mode, you should take into account such factors as the age characteristics of the bird, its functional purpose, room area.Hens, young brood, chicks, and laying hensrequire a more careful approach to the issue of lighting, since they need development and the most comfortable conditions for living.

If in the warm season there is enough natural light, then in winter for full life Chickens need artificial lighting.

Artificial lighting does not lose its relevance even in the hot season.

When the temperature in the chicken coop rises above 27 degrees, the following begins to happen to the birds:

appetite decreases;
egg production decreases;
the shell becomes thin.

With the arrival of spring, when the days become longer, the egg laying pattern is gradually restored.

Undoubtedly, in winter and without additional lighting, chickens continue to lay eggs, but they produce very few eggs, and this happens irregularly.

You may also find this article useful on how to keep laying hens in winter.

How to make lighting for a chicken coop correctly?

Since lighting plays a key role in the development of birds, the proper construction of its system will determine how profitable it is to raise chickens in the future. If done correctly, you will have good economic benefits, as well as valuable skills in setting up a chicken coop.

Having decided to equip your chickens with a full-fledged chicken coop with effective lighting, you should definitely familiarize yourself with the following important lighting features:

lighting fixtures must be located at a distance of at least 6 square meters, and the power of each must be 60 W;
install the light bulbs evenly so that the distance from the floor is 2 meters;
if you decide to use lighting with flickering, you should select options whose flickering frequency is at least 26 thousand hertz;
if the flickering of the lamp begins to cause discomfort for chicken eyes or the brightness of the light turns out to be unsuitable for birds, then they will begin to crap in the illuminated areas and will not be able to fully stay there.

One of the most important moments in the chicken coop lighting system is that the brightness of the light should depend on the area of the room in which the lighting device is located:

in the feeding area it is necessary to install lamps with a brightness of about 69 lux;
in places where birds hatch eggs - 0.5-1 Lx (twilight should reign in roosting areas);
where day-old chicks are located - about 30 Lx, and for older birds - 5 Lx.

Table 2. Step-by-step instruction installing a lamp in the chicken coop

Image	Stages
	Step 1. Preparation of tools and materials. Take a lamp, cable, timer socket, corrugation.
	Step 2. Lay the cable to the chicken coop.
	Step 3. Secure the rail for easy cable routing.
	Step 4. Measure the required length of cable and place it in the corrugation.
	Step 5. Secure the corrugation using special fasteners.
	Step 6: Install the outlet.
	Step 7. Route the cable into the lamp.
	Step 8. Install the lamp with cable above the feeder and drinker, screw the plug to the socket.
	Step 9. Install the light bulb. The optimal option is 3.5 W.
	Step 10. Connect to the output cable. You can temporarily connect using the terminal block, then install the shield.
	Step 11. Connect the timer socket. Check the light to see if everything works.

Video - How to create proper lighting in a poultry house

It is necessary to use additional lighting from the beginning of November, after the birds have finished changing their feathers. It is recommended to start the illumination procedure smoothly and gradually. IN winter period, when the birds do not go outside, but spend their entire day in the chicken coop, every morning they should begin with turning on the lamp, and the evening should be accompanied by turning it off.

When designing a lighting system, you first need to worry about protecting the electrical wiring from possible damage by birds. The same applies to lighting devices.

The degree of brightness takes a lot important role. Day old chicks require the brightest light, but for broilers over 21 days old the amount of light is reduced by three times. If the inhabitants of the chicken coop are not only chickens, but also roosters, then the indicators should be reduced to an average level.

In order for the electricity in the chicken coop to operate automatically, it is recommended to install a mechanism based on a relay with a timer.

For this purpose, it is recommended to buy inexpensive Chinese device, on which you can set the required mode. When developing the layout of the chicken coop, consider high humidity indoors. Taking this into account, the quantity electrical appliances It is necessary to reduce as much as possible, leaving only those necessary for lighting the chicken coop, and also installing a panel with a switch on the outside of the room.

Video - Automatically turn on the light

The location of the lamps should be such that the owner of the chicken coop does not touch them with his head, and can also easily reach them for repair or replacement. The average ceiling height is about 2 meters. Also, to achieve uniform and effective lighting, it is necessary to distribute lighting fixtures at an equilateral distance from each other.

Switching lights on and off suddenly can alarm chickens, so lighting fixtures should be positioned smoothly and unnoticed by the birds.

If you miss this nuance, the chickens may simply trample each other in a state of panic.

The duration of daylight hours must be increased gradually, extending each day by 5-10 minutes, so as not to injure the bird. It is recommended to turn on the lights at 6 am and turn off at 19-20 pm.

the main light is extinguished, leaving a dim standby light;
When all the inhabitants of the chicken coop have taken their places, you can completely turn off the lighting.

In small utility rooms, you can get by with only natural light due to large quantity window blocks. But before you install them, you should know that:

due to the windows in the chicken coop, partial heat loss occurs;
The duration of daylight hours in such conditions is significantly reduced.

Properly equipping a lighting system is accessible to absolutely any owner. And if you make some effort and purchase a relay, you can manage your household automatically, avoiding getting up every day in the morning.

Advantages and disadvantages of different types of lamps

One of the most important requirements is the deliberate choice of lighting fixtures, and this is quite simple to do. There are certain requirements that must be taken into account when choosing lighting items:

resistance to humid atmosphere;
accessibility to cleansing;
savings in energy consumption;
additional ability to adjust brightness.
The shade of light also plays an important role:
blue – has a calming effect on birds;
green – promotes the rapid development of laying hen physiology;
red - no good color, can lead to a decrease in egg laying;
orange - auspicious color, has a positive effect on productivity in chickens.

Have you noticed that your pets are aggressive, attacking each other and showing signs of cannibalism?This problem with such manifestations can be solved by gradually reducing the brightness of the light.

Incandescent lamps

These simple lamps are mainly used in small chicken coops. Their privileges are as follows:

affordable price;
simplicity in use;
environmental Safety;
wide range of lighting;
possibility of additional spot heating.

Flaws:

comparative fragility;
quite high power consumption.

Energy saving

The lighting range of such devices is very diverse, and energy consumption is economical.

The disadvantages include a fairly high price and a shortened operating life in a chicken coop. There is no light brightness adjustment in this device.

LED

These devices have the largest number advantages:

long service life;
resistance to pollution;
good range of light;
ease of use;
ability to adjust brightness;
economical energy consumption.

Your coop's lighting system should always be planned with spare materials.Remember that after prolonged use the lamps become covered with dust and become less bright, so you should always have one on hand. Additional materials for lighting.

The lighting method is chosen by the farmer himself, based on his capabilities and individual preferences.

Why perform so many actions in the chicken coop? All of them do not require large expenditures, but the results are always positive and tangible. It is possible to select and install lighting systems in a couple of days, and the beneficial effects from them will delight the poultry farmer for more than one season.

Having carefully thought through all the intricacies of the lighting system, the farm will not only be a source of pride for you, but can also bring you considerable economic benefits. By following the above recommendations, you can set up the perfect chicken coop, and your chickens will certainly thank you with high productivity.

Content:

Physiological features have made birds more sensitive to light than humans. They have sharper vision, but they will only be able to navigate well if there is sufficient light. When darkness falls, chickens lose their ability to see. As soon as the lights are turned off, the bird will stop all activity and go to rest. This is especially true for winter, because... The duration of daylight hours is greatly reduced.

Effect of light

intensity;
length of daylight hours.

The first measurement system is lux, which determines how bright the lighting is. To establish the intensity, a special device is used - a lux meter.

When changing the light intensity, you can perform the following operations:

help young animals at the age of one day find feeders and drinkers;
reduce pecking;
carry out a number of activities without exposing the bird to stress (vaccinations, catching, wing clipping);
influence the annual process of feather cover change;
keep the development of young animals under control.

Daylight is the second important factor. By turning the light on or off at certain hours, the owner regulates the birds’ lifestyle, namely:

feeding time;
growth of young animals;
onset of puberty and timing of egg laying;
annual pen change;
at elevated temperature external environment heat exchange processes in birds are regulated.

Thanks to these two factors, you can create a program for how the poultry house will be lit. There are two types:

Continuous. Darkness is limited to one block.
Intermittent. Includes several blocks of darkness.

Darkness plays an important role in the life of birds. This time is allocated for the growth of skeletal bones, the change of important metabolic processes and the development of immunity.

How to arrange everything

A bright room will be convenient not only for the chickens, but also for the staff. When arranging a lighting system, it is important not to forget that it should be different in each zone. Near feeding areas you will need brighter light, but near nesting houses or near perches it is recommended to limit yourself to twilight.

Much depends on the size of the poultry house. Cage maintenance involves installing lamps over the passages in the spaces between cells. The lighting line is located at such a height that it does not interfere with workers, but at the same time it can be easily reached for carrying out technical work. It is recommended to cover all lamps with shades to prevent dust and moisture from settling on them. Painting the ceiling red or blue will reduce the number of pecking and cases of cannibalism in chickens.

A simple relay can turn the light on and off, which means the system will be fully automated.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of certain lamps:

Name	Positive traits	Negative qualities
Incandescent lamp	Low price. Easy to maintain. It is environmentally friendly. Has a good spectral light range. Can be used for spot heating.	It is not suitable for use on a large poultry farm due to high energy consumption.
Fluorescent lamps	Durability. Easy to maintain and install.	They have a flickering effect that is invisible to humans but irritating to birds. Poor spectral range. Recycling of used lamps is necessary.
Energy-saving lamps	Low power consumption. You can select the required light spectrum.	High price. Inability to adjust brightness. In the poultry house they do not work out their full term. The need to recycle used lamps.
LED lamp	Long-term operation. Hard to damage. Good light spectrum. Easy to maintain. You can adjust the intensity. Low power consumption.	Expensive.

What daylight hours do young animals need?

The presence of light is directly related to the puberty of young animals. During development, it is not recommended to increase the duration of daylight hours. If there is natural light, you should do the following:

additional lighting is used so that from the eighth week the daylight hours last similar to natural for birds in the 18-week age group;
Additional light will be needed while the chickens are actively growing, then it must be reduced.

Daylight hours for replacement young animals

Age group in weeks	Amount of dark time in hours	Length of daylight

		9 am – 1 am

According to their physiology, birds are more sensitive to light than humans. Their visual acuity is higher, but they can navigate well only in the presence of a sufficient amount of light. In the dark, chickens see practically nothing. This feature is widely used in poultry keeping technology - when the lights are turned off, the chickens stop all activity and fall asleep.

What does light affect?

During the growing process, the farmer operates with two lighting factors.

Intensity

It is measured in lux (Lx) and determines the brightness of light. To measure it, a special device is used - a lux meter.

If you have some skill, you can determine the lighting intensity approximately, “by eye.” Almost complete darkness is 0.5-1 Lux, light twilight is about 5 Lux, bright artificial light in the room is about 50-70 Lux.

By changing the intensity of lighting in the poultry house, you can achieve the following goals:

help day-old chicks find food and water;
reduce the quantity;
carry out stress-free manipulations with birds (catching, vaccination, wing trimming, etc.);
provoke annual molting, reduce its duration;
control the development of pullets.

At large poultry farms, the cost of organizing lighting amounts to up to 20% of the construction budget.

Length of daylight

The second important factor is light in a poultry house. Using the time of turning the light on and off, the following processes are regulated:

feed consumption;
broiler growth;
puberty and the beginning of egg laying of laying hens;
annual molt;
in the hot season, the bird's heat production is controlled.

Based on these two indicators, a lighting program is drawn up. It can be continuous - with one block of darkness or intermittent (with two, three or even four blocks of darkness). In conditions farm It is better to use continuous programs. They will be different for broilers, replacement chickens and laying hens.

Periods of darkness are very important for all birds without exception. At this time the formation takes place bone tissue, calcium metabolism changes (which is important for the strength of the shell), important factors immunity.

Therefore, 24-hour lighting is contraindicated for broilers and layers!

As for the color vision of chickens, practical significance has low perception in the violet part of the spectrum. Chickens perceive blue light as darkness, so when catching and regrouping the flock, they use blue lamps.

A bright poultry house is convenient for both chickens and staff. When arranging lighting systems, different intensities are provided in different areas of the chicken coop. Thus, chickens prefer to feed when the illumination on the feeder is 60 lux, and for egg-laying and resting on the roost they will need twilight of 0.5-1 lux.

The lamp installation example shown in this photo is suitable for a small chicken coop.

Depending on the size of the room, several lighting lines are installed. When kept in cages, they are placed above the passages between the batteries. The height of the lines should be such that workers do not touch them with their heads, but can easily reach them with their hands to change lamps and other Maintenance(about 1.8 - 2 m). It is recommended to purchase and use shades for lamps to protect them from dust and moisture. If necessary, the lampshades can be painted blue or red (reduces pecking in chickens).

If the feeders are located inside the cage (in the middle), then additional lighting should be provided above them in each cage.

It is advisable to automate turning the lights on and off by installing simple electromechanical relays. In small farms, the brightness can be reduced by replacing the bulbs with weaker ones or unscrewing them one at a time (although the uniformity of lighting will suffer).

The simplest automation of lighting in a chicken coop using a time relay (photo from the author’s farm site).

In large farms, it is recommended to install a light control system that includes a sunrise-sunset function. It allows you to adjust the light intensity throughout the entire growing cycle without fiddling with light bulbs. In addition, with such a block, the light in the poultry house does not turn on abruptly, but smoothly, simulating the natural course of events. With this switching on and off, the chickens are not stressed.

In small farmsteads, it is quite possible to get by with natural light by providing windows. And to increase the duration of daylight in the winter season, hang one or more incandescent lamps above the feeders.

Too much bright sun may become a problem when early development pullets - in this case, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of setting darkness in the poultry house (closing the windows with curtains or dampers).

Let's talk separately about which lamps are best used in the lighting system.

Advantages and disadvantages of different types of lamps

Ideally, poultry house lights should consume little energy, be resistant to dust and moisture, require little maintenance and be dimmable. Several types of lamps are used in poultry farming.

Incandescent lamps

“Ilyich’s bulbs” are no longer relevant on large poultry farms due to high energy costs. However, in a small chicken coop they are quite appropriate. Their advantages are as follows:

low cost of the lamp;
ease of maintenance;
environmental friendliness;
good spectral range of light;
you can regulate the degree of incandescence using thyristor units;
if necessary, they provide additional spot heating

Fluorescent Lamp

Classic fluorescent lamps for raising chickens is also becoming a thing of the past.

It is quite widespread. This type of lamps produces uniform white light, they are relatively inexpensive and consume little electricity. They are durable, easy to install, and the cost of maintaining such a system is low. The disadvantages include:

cheap fluorescent lamps give a flickering effect that the human eye does not catch, but which a bird sees;
from the point of view of chickens, such a lamp has a poor spectral range;
to be able to regulate the light intensity, you need to purchase lamps with dimmers, which in a chicken coop are very capricious and often fail;
Used lamps cannot be thrown into the trash - they must be recycled.

Energy saving lamp

The advantages of such lamps

low energy consumption;
the ability to select the desired spectrum (warm white).

The disadvantages include the following:

high price;
inability to properly adjust the desired brightness;
in poultry house conditions they do not maintain the stated service life;
Used lamps must be disposed of.

There are special colored lamps on the market for poultry farming from the Gazolek company. They are called "Orion" and work on the principle of conventional "energy saving" devices. True, the cost of such light bulbs is several times higher.

If you believe the manufacturer's recommendations, the combination of different colors (blue, white, red and green) in the poultry house increases the productivity of broilers and layers. Let us note that science on this issue does not yet provide clear answers.

Energy-saving lamps do not require complex automation and lampshades.

LED bulbs

Today this is the most progressive type of lighting in poultry farms. LEDs have many advantages:

long service life;
resistance to dirt and damage;
good spectrum of light;
ease of maintenance;
possibility of fine regulation of intensity;
low power consumption.

Such systems are quite expensive, but even compared to energy saving light bulbs LEDs pay for themselves many times faster.

The photo shows various designs of single LED lamps.

Light programs for broilers and egg poultry will differ in both daylength and intensity. When introducing day-old chicks into the poultry house, all types of chickens need bright light and long daylight hours. This way the chickens are better able to find food and water and get used to each other and to the environment in the room.

The first 5-7 days for broilers and 7-14 days for replacement young animals provide only one hour of darkness and maintain a brightness of 40-50 Lux. Next, programs are applied depending on the goals pursued.

As for an adult laying hen, the daylight hours for it should last 13-14 hours a day with a lighting intensity of 10-20 lux, which equals approximately 6 W per square meter of floor.

When keeping laying hens in cages, the light regime comes to one of the first places, along with the choice of cross and feeding.

How to develop your own program

If you are serious about raising broilers, then regarding maintenance you need to follow the recommendations of the manufacturer of each specific cross. Supplier companies post this information on official websites and distribute it in the form of a content guide.

To organize lighting in the chicken coop with your own hands, we recommend using the recommendations on our website.

The goal of any program is to organize feed intake in such a way as to stretch the chick's crop and give it the opportunity to first develop bones and then build muscle mass.

Begin significant light restrictions when the bird reaches a weight of 100-150 grams, generally starting at 7 days. It may be necessary to start before day 7 (if excess weight is reached).
After the first day from the start of light restriction, chicks will reduce their food intake to 20% of normal. It's not scary, she will recover within 2-3 days. In the future, the bird will consume a normal amount of food for its age, but with fewer hours of light. Chicks will develop a larger crop.
Use one block of darkness. Use darkness at night, even with solid walls, to reduce the impact of light penetration.
Keep the shutdown time the same throughout the growing period. The lighting period is changed using the light on time.
In open-sided poultry houses, it is very important to know the time of sunrise and adjust the darkness accordingly.
In general, they begin to reduce the period of darkness after the 21st day or when the chickens reach a weight of 800 g.
Before slaughter, increase the “day” time to 23 hours. 24-48 hours before catching, increase the lighting intensity to 10-20 Lux to acclimatize the bird to catching.
During the hot season of the year, you need to reduce the number of hours of darkness. Allow the bird to eat in the cool of the night.
In summer, combine the greatest block of darkness with dawn. In winter, time the lights out at dusk so the bird wakes up during the coldest part of the night.
It is best to organize a smooth switching on/off within an hour using a sunrise-sunset device.

Examples of lighting programs for broilers

It is irrational to be attached to age, because... There are many crosses of varying productivity. Therefore, they start from the calculated weight.

Weight less than 800 g. at 21 days of age

Age (days)	hours of darkness
1	1
100-150 grams	6
5-1 days before slaughter	6-1

Weight 800-850 gr. at 21 days

Age (days)	hours of darkness
1	1
100-150 grams	9
22	8
23	7
24	6
5-1 days before slaughter	6-1

Weight more than 850 g at 21 days

Age (days)	hours of darkness
1	1
100-150 grams	12
22	11
23	10
24	9
29	8
30	7
31	6
5-1 days before slaughter	6-1

In the last two programs you can see that darkness is used to slow down the buildup rate muscle mass on a not yet strong backbone.

Programs for replacement young stock

Light directly affects the puberty of pullets. That's why Golden Rule Raising laying hens says: never increase daylight hours during the development period. If natural light penetrates into the house, the following can be recommended:

Use supplementary lighting so that the amount of daylight from 8 weeks onwards is similar to natural light at 18 weeks of age.
Use supplementary lighting to ensure days are long enough during the growing phase and then shortened to natural day at 18 weeks of age.

In general, the lighting program for replacement chickens looks like this.

Age, weeks	Dark block, number of hours	Daylight hours
1-2	0-1	23-24 hours
3	8	From 9.00 to 1.00
4	10	From 9.00 to 23.00
5	12	From 9.00 to 21.00
6	14	From 9.00 to 19.00
From 7 to 18	15	From 9.00 to 18.00
19	14	From 8.00 to 18.00
20	13	From 8.00 to 19.00
21	11	From 6.00 to 19.00
22	9	From 4.00 to 19.00
From 25 onwards	8	From 3.00 to 19.00

In this way we prepare the bird for egg laying and increasing feed consumption.

To summarize, we note that light plays an important role in the growth and development of chickens. These processes can be regulated using well-developed additional lighting programs, where the duration of daylight hours and lighting intensity are set. There are programs for adult laying hens, replacement chickens and broilers. They can be used in finished form, or they can be slightly modified depending on the resulting productivity.

Welcome to the site website. Today the article belongs to the section “Aspects of Poultry Raising”, namely, we will try a little to analyze the issue of lighting the chicken coop.

These bulbs can be used in a chicken coop

The effectiveness of using lighting in a chicken coop has been proven for a long time. In summer, the chicken coop can be lit through windows, but in winter, additional lighting must be used to provide the chickens with comfortable living conditions. A proper lighting system ensures normal bird development, improves egg size and weight, and shell strength.

Daylight hours for laying hens should last at least 14 hours. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the lights turn on and off at the same time each time. The main and control lamps must be installed in the chicken coop. Place the lamps so that chicken waterers and feeders are well lit, but make sure that the birds do not come into contact with the lamps or wiring. The number of lamps is calculated so that there are 5 watts per square meter.

How to organize the lighting mode in a backpack

When dusk comes, chickens see almost nothing. Therefore, you need to pay attention to the organization of lighting in the poultry house: at the end of the day, first turn off the main lighting, but leave one or two control lamps, depending on the size of the coop, on so that the birds can roost for the night. After five to ten minutes, turn off the control lighting.

Also plays an important role lighting intensity. If you are raising chickens, use light in the first days 30-40 OK. This will encourage the chicks to drink water. Gradually reduce the light to 5-7 OK. This light should remain from three weeks of age until the end of growth. Lighting will be optimal for keeping adult chickens 10 OK. And if you are raising a family, you will need lighting 15 lk, because below this level it decreases sexual activity roosters

Reduced lighting brightness can reduce aggression and feather plucking among birds. However, many foreign companies use lighting 20-25 lk, because they believe that in low light chicken eggs become more polluted.

The lighting system for your coop should be planned generously. Please note that over time the lamps will become dusty and their brightness will decrease.

Lamps for chicken coops also differ in color. Scientists have found that blue light calms birds, blue-green helps good growth chickens, red-orange improves reproductive functions. Red light is also used to reduce feather plucking, but this light reduces the duration of egg laying. Therefore, red lamps are not used for young animals.

People involved in breeding laying hens do not even realize how important it is to have lighting in the chicken coop. Thanks to it, you will not only be able to avoid the game of “don’t step on the egg” if you suddenly have to visit the chicken coop in the dark or in winter, but also provide laying hens with a longer period of fruitfulness and faster puberty. However, there is another problem.

Lighting in the chicken coop has positive influence for laying hens

Some, even knowing about the benefits of lighting in a chicken coop, are afraid of difficulties. However, building this thing with your own hands is not as difficult as you might think. Every chicken breeder should learn about all the details by reading this article. A lot of interesting things await you: you will have to choose the color of the lamps and even purchase a timer.

The benefits of light in a chicken coop

What positive effect does coop lighting have on laying hens? Their life will be more comfortable, the development of physiology will go easier and faster. Egg production will increase several times, and this will have an effect on your economic benefit. Here is a list that will tell you why a chicken house should have light:

there will be more eggs, their quality parameters will improve - weight, shell density and size;
the growth and development of laying hens will become more efficient;
the percentage of injuries among chickens will decrease;
productivity will last longer;
feed will be absorbed better;
chicken survival will increase;
energy costs are low.

Now you can be sure that the light is really needed.

Lighting a chicken coop is a very serious matter.

What should be considered when organizing lighting?

Before you start making your own light in the house for your laying hens, it won’t hurt to familiarize yourself with some theoretical aspects, which will help you organize everything correctly, in accordance with the instructions, because otherwise the lighting will not be useful. Special attention should be given to the intensity of the light supply. Having just been born, chicks need light of at least 30 lux.

When the chicks begin to grow and gain height (on average this takes 21 days), you can reduce the intensity by adjusting it to just 5 lux. But if in your chicken coop there is an owner of a bright tail, that is, a rooster, the light should be brighter - at least 15 lux. Laying hens see extremely poorly at night. When sunset comes, or in winter the hours of daylight are shortened, the bird is literally disoriented, and only dawn serves as relief for it.

But chickens don't have to wait until sunrise to crawl into their cozy roost. As evening approaches, they will begin to take up space, and then some chicken keepers deprive them of a light source. It is not right. All birds must be in place, and only after that you can turn off the lights. Conclusion: light is very necessary in the evening and during the day in winter.

The transition from darkness to light should be smooth

It may happen that the chickens begin fierce fights - the chicken coop will be filled with warlike cackling, and torn feathers will decorate the chicken coop. To stop the aggression, turn down the brightness a couple of lux. This should calm the hens down. Time passes, and lighting devices begin to lose ground due to dust. Therefore, a reserve of brightness is needed.

There should be no sudden lights on. This will cause panic among the hens, and such stress is unfavorable for egg production. So choose a lighting system that makes a slow, smooth transition from darkness to light. Everyone is familiar with the fact that the electricity is sometimes turned off? People are used to this, but for laying hens, a sudden shutdown will be a terrible shock.

The worst thing that can happen is that the poor fellows will trample each other. Therefore, never leave lamps on all day. Alternate darkness with light, gradually acclimating the birds. Daylight hours for chickens should be long enough - at least ten hours, because puberty depends on this.

What lamps are suitable for a chicken coop?

The rules for creating comfortable conditions for laying hens with your own hands do not end with the organization of lighting. There should also be suitable lamps, and choosing them is not at all difficult. For every 6 square meters there should be 60 watts. Therefore, the number of lamps is determined by the area of the room. The light bulbs must be fluorescent, their power is 40 W.

Lamp color affects productivity

The use of fluorescent lamps with a flickering effect is also allowed. However, this can have an adverse effect on the vision of laying hens. To avoid this, choose a lamp with a pulsation frequency of at least 26 kHz. Uniformity must be maintained. To do this, place the light bulbs so that the distance is the same. The color of the lamps also matters:

blue color will calm the birds and prevent any manifestations of aggression;
green - responsible for the rapid development of laying hen physiology;
red color is unfavorable - chickens will lay fewer eggs;
orange color will increase productivity.

There are also sodium light bulbs. They have a common cartridge, consisting of two devices with a power of at least 50 W. They do not have a pulsation function; you can turn them on all together or each one separately. If you need complete control over the inhabitants of your chicken coop, this lamp will be an ideal option, because its light spreads across the area in such a way that dark corners disappear. Learn a few more rules if you want to build a poultry house with your own hands.

The chicken coop is quite humid. When installing wiring, sockets and switches, please note that the wires should not be localized on its territory. The shield outside the perimeter of the poultry house is where the wiring should be located.
Chickens may accidentally touch the lamp. This can be avoided by installing thick lampshades.

It is better to install light bulbs in the chicken coop in shades

Installing lighting in winter

Lighting in a poultry house in winter is a separate issue. Now you will need a timer. But more on that later. Dawn and sunset now come on time, causing the regime to become disrupted, it becomes colder, as a result of which all processes of the bird’s body slow down, so there are fewer and fewer eggs. By artificially increasing daylight hours, you can normalize the productivity of laying hens. Let the light burn for a full 13 hours.

In winter, additional light is a must, although it must be provided before December. The hens' molting will end in November, and from that moment on, begin to gradually adjust the intensity and time of lighting, for which you need a timer. Every dawn for birds should begin with turning on the lamps. Sunset should not be a reason to turn off the lights - wait a few more hours.

By artificially increasing daylight hours, you can normalize the productivity of laying hens

Yes, you will have to visit the chicken coop almost at night, but such sacrifices in winter are necessary, as they will bring the desired fruits. If you understand that you cannot get up so early and trudge into the poultry house, you can use a time relay - an excellent auxiliary tool for every chicken breeder. You can do it yourself:

assemble a lamp from the strand board;
install the wiring, strictly measuring the size of the lamp;
assemble the lamp using metal corners as fasteners;
hang on the ceiling, power it with an outlet;
buy an electronic timer and run a lamp through it.

In winter, the chicken coop definitely needs additional light.

Which timer is suitable? Regular, made in China, with ten operating modes. You will get a good time relay that does not require serious financial expenditure, special effort. Using the same principle, the timer can be used to ventilate the chicken coop, which is also important. In winter there is no need for it, but in summer you will be happy.

By choosing the type of light bulbs, their color, location, and building a timer that will make your work easier, you will create an ideal place for laying hens to live comfortably not only in winter, but at any time of the year. This will take a lot of time, but the result justifies the cost and effort.

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