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High-quality lighting in the chicken coop is an important element in the comfortable life of birds. Light of sufficient intensity improves the egg production of hens and promotes the development of laying hens. It is extremely necessary to light the chicken coop in winter, when the sunny day does not last long.
Do I need artificial light in the chicken coop? – according to the reviews of experienced breeders, lighting in a flock is necessary at least in winter. With insufficient light in the house, chickens develop more slowly and produce fewer eggs. In addition, young animals are often injured when moving around the room in the dark.
Benefits of a lighted chicken coop
Beginning bird breeders often neglect the installation of lamps in the building. Many people think that lighting is needed only for the convenience of using the flock by the owner. However, high-quality light in the chicken coop has a beneficial effect on the bird itself. An illuminated building has the following advantages:
- increases egg production and egg size;
- chickens grow and develop much faster;
- birds are less injured because they move across the illuminated area;
- the egg laying period of birds increases;
- chickens absorb food better, getting more nutrients and vitamins;
- the number of surviving chicks increases.
Often, breeders will forego electricity in the flock for fear of high electricity bills. However, with the right choice of equipment, spending will not be overhead.
Features of the electrification of the poultry house
Before supplying communications to the flock, you must select the brightness. Very bright fixtures can make chickens aggressive, causing fights. Birds with this behavior experience severe stress, and sometimes they are simply injured. Dim light is also destructive, birds in such conditions are poorly oriented in space. In addition, with insufficient illumination, the egg production of chickens decreases. The best is considered a system with adjustable light intensity.
The brightness of the lighting in the chicken coop should be 30 lux. If the building has one or more roosters, the lighting is raised to 15 lux.
The light in the flock must be turned off when all the chickens are already sitting on the perches, because at night the birds do not move well and may simply not climb into their house or perch. Many novice breeders do not know what kind of lighting for the chicken coop is optimal in the winter season. During this period, chickens need to turn on the light not only in the morning, but also in the evening.
If the chickens, after installing the lamps in the house, begin to fight, the lighting is reduced by a few lux. In addition, you can not turn on the lights abruptly, this can disorient the birds. It is best to light the appliances gradually, this will create the effect of a sunrise and make the chicken cycle more natural. Also, the time and degree of illumination can be adjusted by a timer.
The optimal period for lighting the light is 7-15 minutes. If it is impossible to install such a system, then the light is turned on gradually in the building. First, the distant lamps are lit, gradually moving to the near ones. According to the same scenario, the lighting in the poultry house is turned off.
A sudden change in environment will cause stress in chickens. Therefore, the devices are turned on gradually, adding one to two hours of work per day. According to this scheme, the operating time of electricity is adjusted to 10 hours in summer and 11-14 in winter. For convenience, the system can be supplemented with a timer.
The choice of lamps for the poultry house
According to experienced breeders, lamps should be installed for every 5-6 meters of the chicken coop. The recommended power of devices is 40-60 volts. This principle allows you to calculate how many lamps are needed to illuminate the flock.
Both fluorescent and conventional incandescent lamps are suitable for poultry house equipment. The latter, among other things, are resistant to low temperatures. It is undesirable to use fluorescent fixtures in poultry houses, as they harm the eyesight of animals.
Sodium units are another option for house installations, but these are expensive.
The most profitable and option for the poultry house are LEDs. They have a long service life and a good degree of illumination. In addition, such systems are economical compared to traditional lighting fixtures. In specialized stores today you can find lamps designed specifically for lighting poultry houses.
Lighting color also plays a role:
- for aggressive animals, it is better to use blue devices, they have a calming effect;
- green lamps are used to accelerate the development and growth of birds;
- to improve productivity growth, orange lighting fixtures are used;
- red devices are not recommended for use, when they work, the number of eggs produced by the chicken decreases.
When designing the electrical communications of the poultry house, it is worth considering the high humidity inside the house. Therefore, the amount of wiring, timers and other electrical appliances should be kept to a minimum. A shield with a switch is located outside the chicken coop or in a specially equipped vestibule.
When moving around the poultry house, chickens can touch the illuminators, so the lamps must be immersed in durable shades. Also, breeders often use lampshades, with their help, light can be directed to the necessary areas of the chicken coop.
Why you need to light your chicken coop in winter
It is best to set a timer for lighting in the winter. Because you need to turn on and off the light 2 times a day. It is necessary to increase the period of light in the house from November. At this time, the birds stop molting. In addition, it is by winter that the egg production of birds falls. If you artificially prolong the day in the house, the birds will produce more eggs. With good lighting, chickens develop much faster.
It is necessary to extend daylight hours in the winter season from 12 to 14 hours. The lamps are turned on at dawn, and extinguished 3-4 hours after sunset. It is important to observe the regularity of the regimen. This way of lighting creates the illusion of daylight and the chickens feel comfortable.
