We have been using the PLS-2400 MR4 PTC Light Dimmers from Precision Lighting out of Arkansas since 2015. Before we got these dimmers in our barns, we used residential dimmers and dimmed our lights manually, for the most part. Our newer system does the job with greater ease and effectiveness.
The dimmers allow us to have a program in place to run the lights. We can set the lights to a calendar and have the lighting periods change daily, if we choose. The “ramping” feature allows us to ramp up our lights for sunrise and ramp them down to simulate sunset. Once we hook up a laptop to the dimmers and install the dimming program, there isn’t any reason to touch the lights.
Now , it is likely that some of you are wondering why we need to dim or brighten our lights! Dimmers are used for a few good reasons.
- They control the aggressiveness of game birds.
- They simulate daylight periods at certain stages in the birds’ lives.
- They keep our birds and equipment safe.
In our white flocks (raised for our food division), we decrease the simulated daylight as the birds get older. This keeps them calmer.
The “ramping” feature is also very important as the birds don’t flush when the lights come on, as they did in the past. When birds fly in the barns, they can break equipment or cause water leaks. Injury is also more likely if game birds fly in the barns!
That, my friends, is the reason we are so happy to have this high tech, but easy, system in place at MacFarlane Pheasants. We would be happy to answer your questions about this system and the use of dimmers in the game bird world.
