the best lighting for chickens

I get up with my chickens and they go to bed before me. They get to free range at least 3 hours a day - the bugs in our yard are having a tough winter, but the chickens are happy, spoiled, and laying. This issue has been studied extensively. A hen will never "run out of eggs", they will quit laying due to old age long before that. They are born with hundreds of thousands of ova which would take decades for them to lay. Extra lighting in the winter does them no harm if they get proper nutrition, but they are supposed to be allowed to molt every 12-18 months. Next year I will let them molt, which is when they are supposed to.

By the way, speaking of artificial conditions, most chickens are descended from junglefowl from the Indian subcontinent and have no business spending cold, dark winters up in Canada, but they make do (actually do-do and that's about it). Here is a link to a small flock poultry health manual from the Canadian government:

http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/ahc/poultry/small_flock_manual.pdf

Don't take my word for any of this; you can easily research it for yourself on the Internet.

Well i agree most chickens are except americanas there from south america

I do not doubt you post covertchickopts for one moment. My opinions are only valid from my perspective in the land of the midnight sun. They may differ from yours but they are no less invalid. Your statement is correct chickens all were developed from jungle fowl. Through selective breeding and conditioning they are able to now stand the harsh climes of Canada. My motives and objectives for raising chickens are obviously different from yours. I do not view my chickens egg production as key to their existence. If they should miss laying a day or two so be it. In my particular set up my chickens can lay from the roost and eggs will have less then a 3 1/2 inch drop to the poop board. Their eggs have no problem with that drop. I figure it will all average out over their time in my care. My post are truthful from my perspective.. Thank you for the link covertchickopts I will book mark it and read it at my leisure.

Ok Hokum - I understand "to each his own". I just thought suggesting that people on this forum are treating their chickens like battery hens because they keep some lights on a few extra hours was a bit unfair. People on here truly care about their chickens and having them lay in winter is an individual choice that should not be considered cruel as per available responsible poultry care information.

As a breeder, I can get in two generations in a year,
but only if I use extra light to bring on an early spring lay.

I agree that the extra light helps with the laying im thinking of doing solar led lighting im wondering is if you do 12 volt solar leds can they be put on timers being 12 volt

I think someone has a thread on here about solar timers. I think they were using them for auto door openers, but would probably work for lights somehow. Try searching for solar light timer either on the forum here or a google search.

This is why I love this forum! It never occured to me that the chickens would need the light to see to get to their nests. I wasn't going to put light in my house but now I'm re-thinking that. I don't think having a light on a timer from 4am to 7 am would be too cruel. Now I just have to decide what kind of light.