Artificial lighting for winter

[Thousand Oaks Family]

I am wondering the best times for artificial light during the winter months. Right now I have a light coming on around 4am but I hear some people having light in the morning and then again at night. What do you think works best for egg production?

 

[Up-the-Creek]

I have been told it is better for them to have their light in the morning that way they can go to roost normally. I have mine come on at 3 a.m. and go off at 5 p.m. I also read it in an article in the new Backyard Poultry Magazine today.

 

[spartacus_63]

I have heard it was best to have the light come on early in the morning, but I didn't hear it from a chicken.

I have my light on a timer and it comes on 30 minutes prior to sunset and is on long enough to give the egg machines 14 hours of light. The light does not stop the girls from roosting and many even sleep with the light on. Some have owls in their family tree and like to stay up late.

I recommend you do what works best for you. Play around and see what works. And if you get complaints from the chickens, please let me know.

 

[jomoncon]

Because my DH doesn't get off work until 10pm, we tend to stay up late, until 1 or 2 am, & wake up late, around 9 or 10am. I'm retired, and with just the 2 of us, this works out fine. Since I can see the coop from my bedroom window, I didn't want the light coming on so early in the morning. Currently, the lights come on at 6 am until daybreak, and then in the evening, come on around 5 and off at 8. This gives them a total of 14 hours light. There are also lights in the run. Chickies usually stay in the run until the lights go off, and using the dim nightlight, make their way into the coop when the lights go off. I use a couple of strands of low wattage christmas lights.