lights

[pigeon peter]

Who has lights in there lofts and how do you use them !!  not sure if i should fit some this weekend to help out with the early breeding ?

[Guest TAMMY_1]

Who has lights in there lofts and how do you use them !!  not sure if i should fit some this weekend to help out with the early breeding ?

 

used to have them on a timer when i was working, they would come on at 6am so i could feed and water them before going, and the timer came back on at 5pm for an hour so they could be fed again and cleaned out, but don't need them now.

[Guest valiant]

hi peter i have lights in my loft i started breeding december lights on just before it gets dark till 10pm i have 28 young birds in the nest with rings on.

[Roland]

I have lights ... I only use them when too dark to see what I'm doing ;D

Mind that is, as I believe it should be. No need for false lighting I feel...

[homer]

I have lights ... I only use them when too dark to see what I'm doing ;D

Mind that is, as I believe it should be. No need for false lighting I feel...

 

dito

[jimmy white]

lights in for the stock birds if you want early yb,s but dont like them in racing loft , but unfortunately due to work etc , they are needed

[MsPigeon]

I use them in the breeding loft much the same as Valiant. First round is almost ready to wean. They are on a timer to extend the day to 16 hours or so. I leave them on durring the day too as the loft, even though it has windows and plastic skylights, is not very bright durring the day. I also know guys that leave them on all day and night durring breeding season. The purpose is to get early YB's and then when the young are moved to the natural lighted YB loft they molt and are done with it.

Yours in the sport.

Carol  

[Guest IB]

Have lights too, but only on for 50 minutes for cleaning, feeding and changing water on dark winter mornings.

 

Limited natural daylight inside my loft and sometimes need them on on gloomy overcast days too, otherwise I can't see a thing.  

 

Have used them too to get birds in after dark.

[Guest chrisss]

for what its worth i have lights on for early ybs but no timer on i would rather walk down to the loft to make sure all the eggs/babies are covered if i used a timer it is possible that the lights would go off with one of the parents still on the deck

[Back garden fancier]

Just got some daylight energy saving bulbs off t'internet on at 1500 and 0ff at 1900 just to get ready for pairing in two weeks. Once they've laid I'll turn them off

[MsPigeon]

By leaving them on back yard fancier, after laying and hatching, the parents have more hours of daylight to feed them.

Just my 2 cents.

Carol  

[883girl]

We have lights in our loft and they are on from dark to sun set.  Admittedly i dont race, they are for a release business, but i was told it is better to leave them on particularly whilst nesting as they might not get back to their young in time if the lights are on timer.

 

Not really sure what is best to do actually ;D

[Guest shadow]

the best way to use lights is to have them on a dimmer system so the birds are not suddenly in the dark

[chickadee]

We don't have lights in our lofts, if we need to do anything in the loft in the dark we use a srip light torch which is quite effective, but then we don't race either.

[lawrie]

i have 2 touch lights if im in the loft when its dark.

[Guest dogeon]

ive got lights on a timmer on at 6am and off at 8.30pm then ive got a dime night light (plug in type) with just anough light to let the yougsters see there way back to the nest

[S.D.B LOFTS]

Ive got lights only use them for feeding and cleaning morning and night best to

keep to nautral daylight hours.

[Andkar Lofts]

i have both main lights & night lights in my loft ,only use the main when need to tend to birds when insufficient daylight....but use night lights in breeding section  they are on a timer from around 1630/1700 to 0800/0830hrs...find it enables y/bs to be fed by parent birds that bit longer & also prevents squabs from getting chilled if hen comes off nest for any reason & able to find way back ....just how i do it  & works for me ,others use different ways & works for them ( rightly so),

try different ways & adapt method which suits ,dependent on when pair up etc ,work commitments etc

[Guest Hjaltland]

I'd be interested to hear fanciers' thoughts on how employing artificial lighting might affect pigeons internal biological clocks and how this might affect homing abilities ... as I'm sure it must do. Shifting seasons by the use of artificial lighting is used in farming, I can vouch for its effects on controlling maturation in salmon. .. very effective, so it certainly has to be given some thought.

 

Perhaps fanciers who race really well could comment on their use of lights?

[Roland]

Can't understand why 1. People feel that A. A bird will feed extra becasuse of light, B. why one thinks that when the cup is brimful they can add another cupful! and C. night time is for digestion and rest! the system needs this a darn site more than unnecessary feeds. .

And 2. Just why do people feel that they know better than nature! or indeed nature doesn't know as much!

In any tests carried out it has been a futile exercise in as much as youngsters don't need feeding during the night, they need their rest for growing, and undisturbed contentment above all JMO.

[MsPigeon]

To each their own Roland...

[Roland]

To each their own Roland...

 

Yes of course, and if they / anyone feels that the cost is worth it, and there is a benefit, then one should go for it!

Personally I perfer the dark natural nights so they can get the all important rest.... without any disturbance - if they did feed the young! JMO