Coop Night Light? Verdict Needed!

[Mtn Laurel]

I have a light that stays on until they go in to roost. I only do this because my coop is very dark at dusk and they were originally hesitant to go inside. I finally realized they couldn't see where they were going! Put in a small light and they began to go right in at dusk.

I then turn it off. They sleep at night and don't need the light. I don't need to use the extra electricity and don't need to create a fire hazard in my small coop. Plus, they don't like the light on at night. They "complain" if I leave the light on too long.

So, my vote is light only if you're coop is too dark for them to see to roost and then turn it off. You could always put it on a timer if you're not available to turn it off yourself.

 

[rebecuna]

Quote from cortner1195: How long did it take to get egg production back up? It's been almost 2 weeks with light and I'm still only getting 0-2 eggs a day from my 6 hens. I used to get 4-5. I've started wondering if I'm doing something wrong... they all still go to roost when it gets dusk outside, and sit up on the roost with the bright light on below them... since it's not changing their habits could it really affect their egg-laying?

 

[blondiebee181]

I choose not to. Chickens were here long before us without the need for extra light, so I chooce not to supplement or interfere with nature. It also doesn't get anywhere NEAR cold enough here. In boise, the lowest night temp so far has been 25F and chickens will be fine well below that if they are together on the roost without drafts. Here are most of the pro/cons to lighting/heating:

PROS:
It does regulate winter egg production because hens need at least 12-14 hours of daylight to lay, although most first year hens continue to lay throughout the winter despite the amout of light they get....at least mine are.

It helps YOU too see a little better in the wee morning and evening hours

it does warm your hens and their housing to probably more comfortable temps, but in everything I've read hens tolerate cold MUCH better than heat

CONS:
Coop/housing fires due to faulty wiring or poorly mounted bulbs/heaters.

Forcing hens to lay throughout the winter disrupts their normal behavior. They were meant to take the winter off to molt and rest if they choose. Forcing them to lay unless you are a breeder, wil burn them out more quickly

A hen that is used to a balmy 50F coop will be in very bad shape if your electricity should fail.

Extra electric lines will cost you more in power and extension cords are NOT recommended.

For me it isn't worth the extra work and my hens are showing no sign of discomfort. If I felt like they needed extra warmth, I would insulate before turning to electricity. Good luck and stay warm!

 

[kdwag]

I find that if I leave a light on too long, my birds seem restless and don't roost. I started turning it on just before dark to get them inside and once closed in, I turn it off, but I'm starting to not turn it on at all before dark and they are now going inside by themselves and settling down much quicker. I considered a smaller wattage bulb but I really don't think they need it. Here in NW Ohio, the weather has been really mild so if it turns a lot colder (like teens or 0) I may reconsider, but for now, I'm saying no to the light. My girls are just 13 weeks old today....

 

[JanetS]

When I was doing research before I got my chickens, I had read that a night light was good for them because they can't see will at night. If one fell off the roost or there were predator problems they could see. This made sense to me. So my chickens have a small light (7 watts) all night. They have always had this light but I am rethinking this. This is my first winter with chickens so I'm learning as I go along. I don't know if 7 watts is bright enough to help with egg production. I feel my chickens should have a break from laying eggs during the winter but I don't know that if I turn off the light now if it would cause them a lot of stress because they are so used it.

If I were to do it again. I would say no light or a light on a timer for just an hour or two in the evening until the chickens are settled on their roost.

 

[AllforaneggeK]

I guess my chickens are chicken. Although there were always chickens around when I was growing up, this is my first time raising them. They were a couple of weeks old when I bought them from a farm supply store. They were kept in a cage in the house to begin with and had a heat lamp. One night it was pretty warm so I didn't turn the lamp on. As it got dark I could hear the chicks just carrying on. I wondered if they were afraid of the dark. I put a low-wattage bulb in the lamp and they settled right down. The time came for the ladies to move into their coop. As the nights were still cool here, I again used the heat lamp. As the nights warmed I decided they didn't need the lamp any longer. We have a yard light which provides a very small amount of light to the coop. I heard a commotion coming from the coop. When I went out to check, all six ladies were piled helter-skelter on top of one another against the door where a tiny slant of light comes in the window. Poor babies. When I went in they were frantic. I again replaced the heat bulb with a small-wattage bulb and they calmed right down. Yep, my chickens are chicken.

 

[kdwag]

I guess my chickens are chicken. Although there were always chickens around when I was growing up, this is my first time raising them. They were a couple of weeks old when I bought them from a farm supply store. They were kept in a cage in the house to begin with and had a heat lamp. One night it was pretty warm so I didn't turn the lamp on. As it got dark I could hear the chicks just carrying on. I wondered if they were afraid of the dark. I put a low-wattage bulb in the lamp and they settled right down. The time came for the ladies to move into their coop. As the nights were still cool here, I again used the heat lamp. As the nights warmed I decided they didn't need the lamp any longer. We have a yard light which provides a very small amount of light to the coop. I heard a commotion coming from the coop. When I went out to check, all six ladies were piled helter-skelter on top of one another against the door where a tiny slant of light comes in the window. Poor babies. When I went in they were frantic. I again replaced the heat bulb with a small-wattage bulb and they calmed right down. Yep, my chickens are chicken.

My girls slept together too until they got too big to fit inside their nest boxes. It seemed once they got fully feathered they started roosting and I eventually quit using the light. They are about 10 months old now and haven't needed a light for a long time, especially since it's very warm now.

 

[Hokum Coco]

Apparently It has been documented extra lighting increases egg production.

I personally do NOT use extra lighting.

If you want to get your eggs out of your hens faster then I say go for it.

I am of the opinion hens only have a finite reserve of eggs to be laid in their life time.

If I get 200 eggs a year from a hen as opposed to 300 so be it. The way I look at it lighted hens will be spent in about 2 years and mine will still be giving me adequate production over 4 to 5 years.

I have nothing to back up my theory that increasing egg production also increases the problems that can arise with chickens such as prolapse and egg bound.

Just common sense.

I find common sense is not all that common some time.

 

[Jayers]

No! Let nature provide the light.

 

[Kikiriki]

We have a yard floodlight that shines into the chicken enclosure where the coop is. Their vent window faces it. They choose to move to the darker area once I close the door on the coop. There is enough light to deter predators that prefer to skulk in the dark and for the chickens to see, but since they move away from the lightest area, it seems they like less light.