How much direct sunlight does a flock need

[kyleag]

Hey guys, my brother is getting ready to put in his first coop and is having a problem figuring out where to locate it on his property. He lives in Alaska and the spot he wants to put the coop doesn't get much if any direct sunlight. In the summer months it will get up to a couple hours of direct sun and winter months none at all. So my question is, do healthy hens need access to direct sunlight? I know my flock loves to bask and take dust baths in direct sun even if the temps are 110+. Thanks in advance!

 

[RonP]

Direct sun, not necessary. Commercial birds raised indoors, lighting is controlled artificially.

Chickens will need 12 to 16 hours of light for egg production.

Hope this helps.

 

[aart]

@Alaskan little help?

 

[Alaskan]

Hey guys, my brother is getting ready to put in his first coop and is having a problem figuring out where to locate it on his property. He lives in Alaska and the spot he wants to put the coop doesn't get much if any direct sunlight. In the summer months it will get up to a couple hours of direct sun and winter months none at all. So my question is, do healthy hens need access to direct sunlight? I know my flock loves to bask and take dust baths in direct sun even if the temps are 110+. Thanks in advance!

Hummm.

The problem is that our winters are so long, and cold to super cold ( how cold depends on location in the state).

Sunlight can help GREATLY with the temps. I currently have to have 4 different ice free water pans/buckets in 4 coops and 1 in the barn. The location of the pan makes a HUGE difference as to how fast it freezes over and how thick the ice gets.

You can raise chickens in a dark cold hole.... but I think problems will creep in. Behavior, disease, and production issues.

Does he have a greenhouse? If he sets up the coop so that they can get to the greenhouse, and play in the greenhouse on winter days, that works well.

If he decides to try placing the coop in a dark location, he will have to make sure he can put a light on a timer in the coop, and he will probably also need water de-icers. Unless he is in Kodiak?

 

[Alaskan]

Do not make the mistake of thinking that a dark cold coop means that you need to button it up to keep in the heat. VENTILATION is extremely important.

 

[Alaskan]

here is an article I wrote about housing up here :

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/cold-weather-poultry-housing.72010/

 

[kyleag]

Hummm.

The problem is that our winters are so long, and cold to super cold ( how cold depends on location in the state).

Sunlight can help GREATLY with the temps. I currently have to have 4 different ice free water pans/buckets in 4 coops and 1 in the barn. The location of the pan makes a HUGE difference as to how fast it freezes over and how thick the ice gets.

You can raise chickens in a dark cold hole.... but I think problems will creep in. Behavior, disease, and production issues.

Does he have a greenhouse? If he sets up the coop so that they can get to the greenhouse, and play in the greenhouse on winter days, that works well.

If he decides to try placing the coop in a dark location, he will have to make sure he can put a light on a timer in the coop, and he will probably also need water de-icers. Unless he is in Kodiak?

He is in Kodiak.

 

[Alaskan]

He is in Kodiak.

aaaah! Super nice! Kodiak is way warmer. Might be just fine there without lots of sun. They do have a crazy amount of humidity, so he should probably make a HUGE vent/half wall of wire on one side.

Also, they have a crazy number of bears there, he might need to put up electric around the coop to keep the bears out...

 

[lazy gardener]

Check out the "woods" coop. IMO, sunlight is very important. I know that I appreciate it and get grumpy when it's gloomy here in Maine for days on end. Your brother's birds will appreciate it if he can relocate their coop and run to give them more sunlight. Time to cut a few trees????