Best lighting for chickens

[Jazzychilli]

G’day
I have my chickens in their little hen house out and night and it doesn’t have electricity I close them in their little upper box and it’s dark. It has a window so they can wake with sunrise - but I wondered if this is good or bad for it to be fully dark at njght ? I don’t have a red light or anything - They have slept this way since they were 3 weeks old and roam a large area during the day. Is this ok for them ? Will they still lay eggs if totally dark at njght ?
Thank you

 

[rosemarythyme]

Yes I believe it's best to have as much darkness at night as possible for restful sleep. We have no street lights or house lights at nights so our chickens (and us) only get moonlight. Yes they will lay eggs.

If you're talking about eggs in winter after their first year, that's supplemental lighting and has nothing to do with darkness at night. I don't supplement lighting for laying so can't give instructions on how to best do that.

 

[BDutch]

Chickens don’t need any supplement light at night. Windows in a coop are great for chickens to settle at nightfall and for a great place to be during the day in bad weather.

I like to check on my chickens after dark (before going to bed myself) and use the torch on my mobile to do so. And I have a solar led-light outside the coop thats shines just a little in the dark. It shines a bit brighter when someone or something (me/mdh/cats/foxes) walks along. They say it helps against ‘buglers’.

 

[aart]

(me/mdh/cats/foxes) walks along. They say it helps against ‘buglers’.

Interesting terms...would you translate, please?

 

[BDutch]

My dear husband is a thief in the night.