Does my nesting area need to be dark?

[vttrissy]

I'm new to chickens and heard that extra light in the winter may help many hens continue to lay eggs. So, I used a tinted corrugated plastic roofing material on my coop (think sun glasses material). In the photo, you can see that it allows plenty of light into the coop. My chicks are now about 10 weeks old, and I'm suddenly nervous that there's too much light in the coop. I had planned on installing dividers to basically make nesting stalls for the girls. My question is... should I proceed as planned? Instead of just dividers, should I build a roof on the nest boxes to make them more enclosed, or....... should I hang boxes UNDER the coop and the chickens would have to enter the coop to sleep and have a separate area for egg laying. Hanging nest boxes under the coop, would also leave more room inside for roosting/sleeping. Maybe I'm just over thinking.....


The first pic is the opening in the back looking in, and the second pic is the door on the side (where I was hoping to put next stalls).

 

[sunflour]

They do prefer nest areas that are dim and protected. I would suggest selecting the location that is easiest for you to collect the eggs without disturbing the flock. And make those areas a little dimmer and more private - the prefer a solid covering on the top or over nests, if light shines in you can add curtains.

 

[Suziqzer]

I'm new to the land of chickens myself. My concern with the clear roof would be heat in the summer. I would be concerned it would act like a greenhouse if it's in full sun.