How many of you keep a light on in your coop at night?

[harleyjo]

After we no longer needed the heat lamp we put a small 15 watt bulb in the ceiling of the coop. I don't know why but I think we had read to keep a light on. They have roosts in there and they all seem to sleep with or without the light on. They are about 9 weeks now old now. We have a divided coop with a wood partion for some meaties for a couple more weeks. They also seem to like to fly up to the top of this wall and sit there and watch the meaties.

 

[TipsyDog]

This time of year I have no lights on at all because the days are just so long. In the winter months I have a light on a timer to extend the daylight hours. I would NEVER keep a light on all night because I believe chickens require sleep and the artificial light interferes with that and their egg laying cycle.

 

[Imp]

I've had a light on in the coop since I got chickens, about 7 years ago. A farmer at the feedstore told me that it was better to have the light on 24/7 rather than having it go on and off. Don't know the truth about that, but works for me.

Imp

 

[En Plein Air Farms]

I came here today to see if there is any info in the archives about this.

I've got my 15 watt bulb on a sensor timer dawn/dusk. My 9 chickens sleep fine, and as a side issue have never stopped laying. I always get 8 and quite often 9 eggs each day, and my girls have been laying since last August or September.

My girls get lots of exercise too, free range on 1-1/2 acres from about 10 AM till 6 or so in the evening. This saves a fortune in hopper food.

edited to add a list of posts with night light in the subject line

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/search.php?search_id=91655939

 

[En Plein Air Farms]

After reading through most of those threads above, byc members are fairly evenly divided between yes and no.

Many on the No side of the fence seemed to think it was uncomfortable or unethical to leave a light on all night. Or are ok if their girls are not laying eggs.
Or, their chickens fought or ate all night with the light on.

I can see my girls through their bedroom window from my bedroom window and I often just watch them because they make me happy. I will occasionally see a little head bobbing but those ladies do not leave their perches or move about until daylight.

So in the end perhaps it boils down to what kind of chickens, how much room there is in the coop, how little energy they expend during the day...in other words pick the answer you like

I have black sex-links.

 

[Cynthia12]

No lights in the coop now. Light for the young ones in the chick nursery hutch.

 

[dparadise]

I have a very dim light on for them all night long, I read somewhere, maybe here, that it's better if they have a little light to see by in case something does get in then to not be able to see it.

 

[NYRIR]

Nope...no light here. Only light at night is moonlight....mine are fine so far.

 

[Mahonri]

I have my light on a timer.

Goes on in the morning at 6AM goes off every night at 8PM.

Year round.

 

[acid_chipmunk]

We keep a light on all night is the winter, to extend the days and add warmth. Right now, we turn the light on when they go in at night, so they can find the roosts and then turn it off when we put their ramps up before we go to bed.