Do You Leave Lights On In Coop All Night?

[kysilkies]

We do, but don't know why LOL

Thoughts?...

 

[blackjack1]

NO the chickens need to sleep too! Do you sleep with a night light??

You can put a timer on your lights so they come on early and go off late so they lay longer. As the days get shorter they lay less egg so some people try to keep the girls on the summer schedule.

 

[Whirlwind]

No light here. They go to roost at dusk and wake up at daylight.

 

[Chicken Fruit]

I'd just unplug it when you head to bed. Then they'll get their 12+ hours of daylight to encourage laying.

 

[meriruka]

I keep tiny night lights on in the coops so that they can see to hop on & off a roost.

 

[jjthink]

No. And I provide light only during natural daylight hours whatever time of year it is, so their bodies can get much needed and much deserved rest during the "shorter" days of the year when egg laying naturally slows down.
JJ

 

[hinkjc]

Are these babies or adults? With cold temps, our babies that are not fully feathered would get a light all night to snuggle under to keep the chill off. For adults, no. This is their much needed time to rest.

 

[Whirlwind]

Quote:
Did not think to ask that. Exactly what I do.

 

[tdkmom]

When they were babies I kept a red brooder lamp in there all night. Now that they are bigger, I have a red night light that comes on around 8 and shuts off around 9 just so my son can get in there to shut the gate door and they can see to get on the roost. If it's dark and they're not on roost they flip out.

 

[Amethyste]

We don't use lights in our coop...its au nautural for us

The only time <and its rare!> is when we needed to use the heat lamp that they had as babies...its was so cold outside and we only had 2 hens. We were afraid they would freeze with the temps dropping to 8 degrees F at night. That was only for a week or two...and we never needed it except then in the 5 years we have owned chickens.

Now tho we arent worried cos they have the new babies to cuddle with for body heat this winter. We wont use lights then either. Only a ceramic heat source over the water to keep it thawed slightly, but no artificial light.

They arent expected to lay eggs constantly...the eggs are a bonus

So if they take the winter off as nature intended its all good