Many chicken experts have found that red lights are the best way to turn on a chicken coop. The idea is that the subtle light of a red bulb helps keep your daughters calm. Keep in mind that chickens don't perceive red light as daylight, so adding such a bulb to your chicken coop won't work to increase egg production. To make sure that red mites are definitely what you're dealing with, go to your chicken coop at night with a torch and white paper.
The red mite can be a difficult problem to treat when raising chickens. Red mites are small parasitic mites that live in the chicken coop during the day and feed on the blood of chickens at night. All types of chicken coops can get red mites, however, wooden chicken coops tend to suffer more infestations. One of the most aggravating pests in any chicken coop is red mites.
Artificial heating of the chicken coop. The mites hide in the crevices of the chicken coop during the day and emerge at night to feast on the chicken. Completely eradicating the red mite is very difficult. Even when the poultry housing is thoroughly cleaned and the birds are treated, it only takes a few red mites or eggs to escape and they multiply rapidly again.
It's usually best to do a thorough cleaning of the home when you discover the problem, then have regular checkups and a treatment plan to keep track of their numbers. Unfortunately, red mites are very persistent and it can take a while to get rid of them in your chicken coop, but with handling over time it's possible. Heat lamps are common causes of fires in chicken coops, so many chicken farmers stay away from them even if they use artificial lighting. Chickens have terrible night vision, so once the light goes out, chicks usually can't orient themselves around an incubator.
Theories that red lighting prevents chickens from differentiating between honeycombs and wattle trees, which helps prevent chicken pecking and cannibalism. Because they are so new to the job, baby chickens may feel insecure and unsure about their environment, especially in the first few days after hatching. I always keep Poultry Shield in stock because outside of red mite season, it's useful for cleaning the chicken coop. It is used sparingly around the chicken coop where mites accumulate, and in chickens suffering from mites, it can be very effective.
This is just a theory, but the fact is that the red light can prevent fights in winter, keeping your birds calm and safe inside the chicken coop. While these are not proven, the potential benefits may outweigh the potential negative effects, especially since red will not have the other effects of chickens that white light does. Now that you know the pros and cons of lighting your chicken coop in winter, you can choose an option for your flock. Red mites can survive without feeding on blood for six to eight months, so leaving the chicken coop empty for a short time won't kill them, although changing housing and treating one house while the birds are in the other can certainly help.
Wild birds or chickens purchased from an infected flock will usually transport them to a chicken coop.
