I've read a few comments about leaving a light on...

[tri-5-ron]

... in the coop at night.
Something about hours of light related to egg laying/productivity.

Is this something you do only in the shorter days of winter?, or do you do this year round?

Does it hurt/bother them to leave a light (single 60w bulb in a 4' x 8' coop), on 24/7 ?

Do they NEED a certain amount of darkness each night?

WILL they sleep with the light on inside the coop?

What say you, of the more experienced members ?????

Thanks in advance,
Ron

 

[Ridgerunner]

Something about hours of light related to egg laying/productivity.

Chickens lay best if they get a minimum of 14 hours of light each day. If they get less light, say when the days get shorter in the fall, they can go into a mollt and quit laying. Commercial operations provide light to maximize egg production. Chickens do need to molt about once a year to renew their feathers and recharge their system. They usually lay larger larger eggs after a molt and if they go too long without a molt, egg production and egg quality can drop off.

Does it hurt/bother them to leave a light (single 60w bulb in a 4' x 8' coop), on 24/7 ?

Yes. It stresses them and they do not lay as well and are more susceptible to diseases. It can also cause some egg defects.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:

Finally something Ridge and I can agree on.

 

[tri-5-ron]

Thank you for the replies.

So minimum 14 hrs of light is for best productivity....
ok, I got that.

Now what would the Maximum hours of light be ?, without stressing them ?
or in other words,...

What would the suggested Minimum hours of darkness be, for them to sleep/rest during the night?

I want to state that I do not intend to try and "Max out" my girls, and certainly want them to be happy, healthy, non-stressed birds.
I just want to know what the suggested parameters (min. and max.), are for sleep/dark hours vs. light/producton hours.
I hope that makes sense.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't keep lights on for mine but let nature take it's course. Personal choice.

If you are going to provide light, I'd suggest setting the lights up to give them 14 hours minimum light and then let the lights go out. Depending on your latitude, they will get whatever darkness nature provides, just never more than 10 hours. That should be plenty.

 

[TrystInn]

We keep an LED sensor nightlight in the coop year round and that seems to work fine for us, though admittedly we do use a heat lamp some nights in the winter which provides additional illumination.

 

[Wynette]

I also do not use artificial light to stimulate more laying; it's not healthy for them, IMHO, I prefer they get a break, as nature intends. That's just me, though.

 

[chuckzoo]

I have a street light about 25ft from my coop that shines into the coop through the gable vent. Will this light bother them or affect healgth/production in any way?

 

[tri-5-ron]

Thanks for all the replies.