My kid's science book made me rethink my whole coop setup

I was helping my 8-year-old with homework last night, and her book had a page about bird vision. It said chickens see a much wider color range than we do, including UV light. I always just used plain white bulbs in the coop for winter light, thinking bright was bright. But reading that, it clicked that maybe the light quality matters, not just the hours. I swapped my old bulb for a full-spectrum one from the pet store, about $15, and the girls seem way more chill now when I go in at dusk. Has anyone else tried different light types and noticed a change in behavior?

3 comments

3 Comments

karenw903d ago

Heard a buddy say his hens stopped pecking at each other after he switched to a warmer colored bulb.

river_hart182d ago

Was it a specific color temperature he switched to, like moving from a harsh daylight bulb to something softer? I've read that really bright, cool white lights can stress birds out and make them act up, almost like they're stuck in a long, annoying summer day. A warmer, more yellow light might trick their brains into feeling like it's a calm evening, which could chill them out. Wonder if it's the warmth or just lowering the overall brightness that did the trick.

nathan_foster601d ago

Switched my parrot to a soft yellow bulb, like the kind you'd use in a living room lamp. Totally chilled him out, stopped all that screaming at dusk. Pretty sure it's the color, not just being dimmer.