Timer. Daylight Slaving Time?

[Farrier1987]

So I have had the timer on since early September, add about 2 hrs a day to their hormonal cycle hoping to get eggs. Serms to be working.

But now, my question. When Daylight Slaving Time ends, do I turn the timer an hour ahead or an hour behinc? Or do you unplug it for an hour to let the sun catch up? Anyone has sure knowledge about this, I would appreciate some guidance. Thanks.

Oh, and someone else told me to do it on a cloudy day, doesnt mess with the chickens minds so much. What about that? Or maybe doing it in the middle of the night? I dont want to have to get up at midnight and go out to the coop and adjust it, but I guess I can, if thats what it takes? My wife gets cranky tho when I come in with chicken goop on my jammies.

Please chime in if you know how to do things best.

[WLLady]

just leave it be...the sun will still get up and go down at the "old time". all that happens is we get up in the dark and go home in the dark. still. and we get all messed up and everyone forgets how to drive...
i like it "daylight slaving time". lol.

btw clocks go back an hour. but i don't reset my timers at all. in the spring they're correct again. LOL

[Killerbunny]

I leave it alone, I don't want to deal with a load of PO'd biddies and poor Frank certainly doesn't need the hassle!
If you do do it at 2am be sure to make video for youtube LOL!

[Kbr42]

I leave them alone as well. If anything I add an hour before they were scheduled to go on at night. And that's just so I can see them when I get home...lol just for the record I hate messing with the time. Just pick one! Live with it. No one needs to shop that much...lol off my soapbox.

[WLLady]

i wish wish wish they'd nuke the time change altogether. might have been great when there was no electricity.....but we can overcome things like darkness now. i'd rather keep my circadian rhythm sort of on balance than try to jet lag myself voluntarily every 6 months! it's a proven fact that there are more heart attacks in the 48 hours following the time change because of stress on the body.
shouldn't that be telling the time change people something?? maybe just maybe it's not good for us? maybe this year i'll just not adjust and stay on the old time. i'll be to work an hour earlier than everyone else (yay! no competition for equipment and no hassles!) and go home earlier......hmmmmm

[Killerbunny]

ANd the UK has different days that they change the clocks too! AT least I don't have to deal with family there now.

[WLLady]

yep hubbys family is on the new time as of last weekend in germany...we switch this weekend....

[Farrier1987]

OK, so I threw out a baited hook and got a few nibbles. But it started a thread. I know you dont mess with your timer except if the power goes off.

And yes, I am going to change the timer from coming on in the morning to the evening. In the dark in the morning, I open the hatch before I leave and they all run out in the dark and then start crying piteously. So evening it is going to be, they should come in out of the dark.

But maybe not, Chickens are so stupid, especially brown leghorns. I got some eggs from a so called friend. She gave me five rooster eggs and only two pullet eggs and two that didnt hatch. And they are the scatterbrainedest bunch you ever saw. They are so paranoid, always thinking something is out to get them. They will be good free rangers and lookouts as well as being a pain.

[WLLady]

leghorns are great lookouts. and lay like crazy for a year. and then NUTHIN....lol. you asked for them..... ha ha

hm i don't even mess with the timer if the power goes out.....i must be lazy or something.

[Ontario Chick]

Interesting, by spending way too much time with my chickens, I have observed that light on or not, the are all on the roost by 7.30 pm latest in fall and winter.
So the timer is set to turn off the lights at 8pm and it goes on early enough so the "hired help" has lights on when closing the barn, so actually we light the "keeper" rather then the chickens.
They lay reasonably well thru the winter with this system.