I'm setting up a backyard chicken coop. What are the lighting recommendations to encourage egg production in hens? Also, what are the best practices for installing perches, including minimum space per hen, horizontal spacing between perches and walls, and any potential risks to be aware of?
Navigate to poultry.extension.org. Locate and access the 'HOUSING FOR SMALL AND BACKYARD POULTRY FLOCKS' section. Within this section, find and read the article on 'Lighting' to identify recommendations for stimulating hen reproduction/egg production. Return to the 'HOUSING FOR SMALL AND BACKYARD POULTRY FLOCKS' page. Find and read the article on 'Perches' to identify minimum perch space requirements, horizontal spacing, and potential risks. Synthesize the information from both articles to answer the questions.
State that orange-red light (long wavelengths) stimulates reproduction/egg production. State that the minimum perch space is 15 cm (about 6 inches) per hen under regular standards and 18 cm (about 7 inches) per hen under organic standards. State that there must be a minimum of 30 cm (about 12 inches) of horizontal space between perches and 20 cm (about 8 inches) between a perch and the wall. State that perches cannot have sharp edges. Identify potential risks of using perches, such as increased keel injuries due to misjudged landings, skeletal damage (bone fractures, keel deformations), and fat pad lesions.