Monday, December 5, 2011

Let there be light!

This year, for the first time, I decided to start adding winter light to the chicken coop to see if I can get a few more eggs out of my girls. When the light went on, all the girls immediately jumped down from the roosts and started eating! So funny. I hear it will take them a few days to get the new schedule, but hopefully soon their days of freeloading will be at an end. I know there is a lot of controversy about this topic, but my hens are not exactly pets...they're here with a job to do, and buying crappy store eggs when I have 17 slackerschickens in the backyard? Silly.

A few days ago I got up (well, to be honest, I hadn't gone to bed yet) before dawn to hike up to the Griffith Observatory to watch the sun come up over LA. Sadly it was a little too clear that day for an amazing sunrise, but the view was nice and the air was good.

Now, back to the plumbing fixing...which seems to involve tearing out the drywall of the ceiling below next. Fun! But maybe I'll get a bathroom that works for Christmas.

3 comments:

  1. I have wanted light for my girls too, but I wanted it more for warmth, than for eggs per se. But yes, if they are there, why not get eggs out of the deal? (Let's just say the 6 extra roosters at our house weren't laying, so we fed them, now they will feed us this winter.

    Tearing out drywall? Wear a mask! But yes, potties that work are a wonderful thing, even more when you can do it yourself (or so I think...)

    Cat

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  2. Next thing you know, you'll be visiting your Navaho friends and wind up putting lights in their bathroom because you always wanted to wire a head for a reservation.

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  3. So has the lighting worked yet? How many hours of light do they get, and how many hours of natural daylight do you have? Overlap? I've had a very difficult time of it, getting my hens to lay again. In previous years I've kept Red Star hens, basically egg laying machines. They laid all through winter with very little coaxing. Now I've got mostly heritage breeds, which seem much more reluctant. I'm finally seeing a bit more laying, but still not great. Would love to hear more details of how this is going for you.

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