Are chickens night-blind?

[DaveJ]

Since the days have become shorter and the coop has become darker, my hens are having an increasingly difficult time getting up on the roost. If they wait until the last minute to go to bed, they are in there in the dark trying to find their way up to the roosts. I've been having to give them a hand up and/or hold a flashlight for them to see.
At least I think the dark is the issue. I've been thinking of getting a little battery powered light for them until they get settled at night. But I can't be there every night to tuck them in.....

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Yes chickens see as well as we do in the dark. In the critter world that equates to being blind at night. They will get the hang of twilight and figure out themselves they need to head to roost sooner than they currently are. If you aid them it will just take them longer.

Reason for additional lighting is only to keep egg production up during the darker months. Most find a light on timer in the early morning hours works better due to the quick snap off of light and they'd be in the same predicament as before- in the dark not on roost.