Lights on all night in sheds.

alps · 28-01-2023 10:39pm #1

Is there a need to leave lights on at night for the benefit of the animals?

With night rate electricity costing as much as daytime did last year, it seems a needless expense..

Lime Tree Farm · 28-01-2023 10:46pm

Sodium night light in the sheds here - they switch off automatically during daylight hours.

funkey_monkey · 28-01-2023 10:48pm

We'd leave them on at calving, apart from that it is off.

I'd say the period of darkness would probably benefit them more than 24/7 light.

My calving camera has IR so I can see everything early with it at night. Those that don't might keep a light on for their cameras. @emaherx had a neat setup where he could turn the lights on and off in the shed using his phone.

ruwithme · 28-01-2023 11:00pm

Needless expense for dry animal's I'd suggest. Going by the extent of lights still on round some private dwellings at night, seems some aren't too bothered by night rate now , where day rate use to be.

" when you've money, you can do what you like " (of course the oul esb subs of late are helping ease pain)

mr.stonewall · 29-01-2023 12:12am

I have a 10 w LED floodlight in each the sheds for this purpose, hooked up to a photocell. Turns on when dark and off in the morning at current ESB prices costing under 5c a night for each light. Find it handy as stock have a low level of light to move around.

Read somewhere that it can increase feed intake have a light at night, and this weight gain. Haven't got around to doing an on experiment this🤔🤔

Silverdream · 29-01-2023 10:57am

Its done in feedlots to increase the time they are feeding and so you can fatten cattle faster. I think they learn't that trick from egg production where the lights in the chicken coops are on 24 hours to keep the hens laying.

A similar trick is to feed cows that are near calving late a night, it can delay the calving until the morning

mr.stonewall · 29-01-2023 12:30pm

Just think of early summer and the weight gain that cattle do. Long days and loads of feed in front of them.

When the ESB prices rose I did a quick back of the fag box calculation, it's cost of less than €25 euro for the whole winter. I decided to run the scrapers once turn less during the day and maximize the use of night rate for them.

Donald Trump · 29-01-2023 4:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120171606#Comment_120171606

Read somewhere that it can increase feed intake have a light at night, and this weight gain. Haven't got around to doing an on experiment this

A neighbour here put in a slatted unit about 30 years ago and used to leave the lights on in it for that same reason so it isn't a new idea

amacca · 29-01-2023 7:04pm

I thought I read somewhere it was a regulation they had to be given a certain amount of time in darkness

Could be imagining things or it may be another country etc

29-01-2023 7:14pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120174343#Comment_120174343

It's not a hill I'm going to die on but I'd be uncomfortable leaving stock in enforced light 24/7

amacca · 29-01-2023 7:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120174370#Comment_120174370

Like that, I'm ignorant of the facts etc but I'd imagine they evolved to have a day-night cycle so let them have it....

minerleague · 29-01-2023 7:53pm

No comparison between nighttime in a slatted shed and being out in a field under the stars. I leave a small light on for suckler cows anyway

kevthegaff · 29-01-2023 8:17pm

Are many people applying for the scheme for grant for esb if ur esb gone up more than 50 percent in the year

emaherx · 29-01-2023 8:23pm

I leave lights off mostly, can turn them on remotely if I need to see more detail in the cameras. Cows don't seem too bothered about them being on or off. I could check cameras any time of night and there will be some up eating anyway. If I turn them on they don't react either, but I think we need the lights a lot more than the cows do.

alps · 29-01-2023 8:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120174608#Comment_120174608

Missed the sept bit as our electricity agent is snowed under with work to do woth it. We had a rate change during September and cant see one for over a year previously, so I expect we've nothing to gain for Sept.

Will look at the reat of the months. Getring the accountant to submit is going to be costly, so need to be sure there's a gain.

Winter months have been low usage, but our December bill was higher than previous Summer bills..

Milking here..

alps · 29-01-2023 8:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120174629#Comment_120174629

What type of remote system are you using?

Is there a remote that can be worked from the phone?

emaherx · 29-01-2023 10:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120174637#Comment_120174637

I've one of these connected to shed lights and electric fence unit:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Compatible-Channel-independently-Function-Required/dp/B08BFM16XQ/ref%3Dasc_df_B08BFM16XQ/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=427957031192&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15079831963552159365&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007883&hvtargid=pla-991322448887&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=108041152548&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=427957031192&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15079831963552159365&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007883&hvtargid=pla-991322448887

But if I were buying today I'd go with one of these:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shelly-Professional-Contacts-Automation-Controls/dp/B09CKVZSDY/ref%3Dasc_df_B09CKVZSDY/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=535933031447&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10733767289829919588&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007883&hvtargid=pla-1461508592051&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

The shelly is a lot more expensive, but has wire wired network and support more open standards for integrating with other systems.

I can control the lights with a phone app or anything with a web browser. Both devices have their own Apps but I use Home Assistant to control them as I can integrate the light controls with the camera feeds. I can also use it for monitoring some sensors around the farm like electric fences, liquid levels, solar pumps, temperatures etc. Also working on adding some livestock health monitoring into it too.

I'm in the middle of replacing some lights at the moment so not as well lit up as it should be. Dark Pens are empty and IR Leds gone completely on older cameras.

Also useful to set timers, can set how long lights will stay on after switching on or how long fences stay off in case I forget them.

alps · 29-01-2023 10:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120175083#Comment_120175083

Master class..

kevthegaff · 29-01-2023 10:51pm

Can u get one the plug is plugged into

29-01-2023 10:55pm

If it's any use to anyone, I have bought wifi plugs for the house and bluetooth lightbulbs for some light fixtures. The plugs are better imo. On/off, schedules, routines, easy.

emaherx · 29-01-2023 10:57pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120175218#Comment_120175218

😁 Possibly just a messer............

But I live over 2 KM from yard and was working away until last year, so it's nice to have a good view of what's going on.

emaherx · 29-01-2023 11:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120175293#Comment_120175293

I've the Shelly in wall switches for some of the lights in the house. They are better than smart bulbs because you can use your original wall switches and control schedule remotely too.