How long should the lamp on at night?

[Birdinhand]

Does it say anything about needing so many 'dark' hours?
I've read(can't remember where so can't cite it) that they need at least 8 hours of darkness.

don't think there was any mention of needing dark more than 4 hours, but I don't push it, just don't see any point, so they do get plenty more of dark hours, like 8 hours at least.

 

[aart]

but won't go outside till it's light outside.

I think they plan to light the run/pen too.

 

[GC-Raptor]

It's a good idea to light the run if their coop is small or crowded. GC

 

[Birdinhand]

I think they plan to light the run/pen too.

if the goal is egg laying, that should not be necessary. the fascinating thing to me is that the pituitary gland in the chickens has actual photo receptors in it, primitive optic nerve bundles that are used to actually tracks the total hours of exposed light coming through the soft tissue/skull/brain to the pituitary gland. i'm not even sure if they have to have their eyes open for this to occur. it's that a certain intensity and duration of light is necessary to stimulate a surge of luteinising hormone from the pituitary gland, which triggers ovulation. if the light exposure drops below the stimulation threshold for the given breed, they stop laying and it appears to have no real benefit to the bird to take a break from laying (assuming adequate nutrition), instead it would reason that it may very well lead to the chicken version of seasonal effective disorder. they are born with a set number of eggs/oocytes in their ovaries, so they may go into menopause earlier if they lay lots of eggs at an early age. some folks feel that their chickens will produce eggs for more years if they let them take a break in the winter, they see it as a trade off but my understanding is that it's not always an even trade because there are other aspects of aging that can cut off ovulation before they actually run out of ovum. my conclusion is that year round adequate light is a good thing, avoiding the placement of the coop in an overly shaded area and using supplemental light in the winter, where days grow too short to keep the hormones balanced. Light in the roosting area only, seems to do the trick.

 

[Folly's place]

The issue would be if the coop is lit up at 4am, but food and water are only available in a dark run area. Then, a light in the run also would be good. My birds have food and water in the coop, so no problems there.
Mary

 

[aart]

The issue would be if the coop is lit up at 4am, but food and water are only available in a dark run area. Then, a light in the run also would be good. My birds have food and water in the coop, so no problems there.
Mary

Yes, IIRC that is the OP's situation and another posters too.
After 4 pages the 'topic' can get confusing.

 

[Birdinhand]

I find that my hens load up on food and water before bed and "chew their cud", using up their reserve through the night so the time when the light is on and they are awake on the perch without immediate access to food and water is not a big deal. In the AM, they chill out quietly, but awake on the roost and wait to eat and drink till it's light outside. by splitting the time that the light is on, they are not actually without food and water for much longer than they are normally when perching at night.

 

[aart]

I find that my hens load up on food and water before bed and "chew their cud", using up their reserve through the night so the time when the light is on and they are awake on the perch without immediate access to food and water is not a big deal. In the AM, they chill out quietly, but awake on the roost and wait to eat and drink till it's light outside. by splitting the time that the light is on, they are not actually without food and water for much longer than they are normally when perching at night.

I just always figured...with more 'daylight', and more egg production, more eating time is better.
Mine are up and eating as soon as light goes on early in the morning way before sunrise then fill crop before roosting with the sunset.

 

[Birdinhand]

my point is, I think that crop allows them to stock up if they have open access most of the day. they seem to adapt.

 

[Folly's place]

I'm not interested in having mine 'adapt' to doing without food when the light comes on before dawn, especially in cold winter temperatures. I want them eating as soon as possible then.
Mary