I have some led christmas lights that I am going to add to coop to get these seriously late bloomers to lay. I am late in doing this as I wrongly assumed that production layers that are in their first year of laying don't need light(obviously I was wrong lol). Anyhow, days are 10 hours now. My Q is... -do I need to gradually increase light? An article at the chickenchick says to do it in 20 minute increments each week. A purdue article says to do it in hour increments each week. -is it necessary? How much stress would it be to go cold turkey and start turning light on 4 hours earlier?
Not absolutely necessary but a gradual increase will be perceived as lengthening days. I don't light now but when I did I think I added a couple hours for a few days then went to 4.
I adjusted the lighting 30 minutes every 5 days.... 30 minute intervals was my only choice on the lighting controller.. Lights now come on at 12:30 AM and natural dusk is around 4:30 PM..... lights go off at about 10 AM.... Here is my lighting system.... I have read natural daylight bulbs is important when it comes to activating the receptor in the chickens head... it's the wavelength that triggers the receptor.. I have a light in the coop and in the run where their food and water is located... so they can find it at that hour of the morning... Feed and water is one thing they look for when awakening... Dave https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/922732/adding-lights-to-the-coop-and-run-what-i-did