Light in coop during winter months ??

[Ljorgie77]

Question about additional light in the Coop....my chickens are only 18 weeks and haven’t started laying yet. We have 2 Delawares and 2 Welsummers
Is it ok to have a light on in the coop in the morning and then at night or is it better to have the light come on earlier in the morning and have the chickens go to sleep with the natural sunset? I have heard people doing both. I also heard that when you add light at night, the chickens get disoriented when the light shuts off and abruptly leaves them in a sudden complete darkness. Any ideas on this?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Lighting won't affect first year pullets. Lights are used to hurry along adult molts and bring older hens back into production sooner. Unless your birds are lacking natural lighting in the coop I personally would skip adding lights.

 

[Ljorgie77]

Lighting won't affect first year pullets. Lights are used to hurry along adult molts and bring older hens back into production sooner. Unless your birds are lacking natural lighting in the coop I personally would skip adding lights.

Thank you that makes sense. We are new chicken owners this is our first winter. Not sure what the right thing to do for them to lay .

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thank you that makes sense. We are new chicken owners this is our first winter. Not sure what the right thing to do for them to lay .

They will generally start about a month or two later than average this time of year. They will generally lay at a decreased rate until February or March when production will start to pick up. I have never added extra lights to my hens. My first year pullets always lay. My May raised ones will generally start by December here depending on the breed.

 

[Folly's place]

I agree about the pullets. With my mixed age flock, I have a light on a timer that is on from 4am to 8am every morning. It keeps egg production up a bit during the winter, which is a good thing for me.
I'm not convinced that it causes problems with hen longevity, so getting eggs in winter is good.
Mary

 

[aart]

Not sure what the right thing to do for them to lay .

Give them good feed, fresh plain water, lots of good ventilation...
...and then, wait.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I turn on the lights at 5 am year round. I don't add light in the evening, just a nightlight so they can see to get on the roost. I turn off the nightlight when I lockup the coops just after sunset.
I use a 250 lumens LED bulb to light the coops. I use two 800 lumens LED outside the coops and a 450 lumens under.
My Barred Rocks started to lay just after New Years day at 20 weeks, all were laying by 23 weeks. GC

 

[Steven Bussell]

I agree with Art.
But I would add a light inside and outside to make it easier for you when you have to go to the coop at night .
I keep solar lights around my run so I can just look outside to make sure nothing is going on

 

[RumneyRoost]

I have a light on a timer to make my life easier. It comes on at 6:30am and turns off at 8am.
This way I actually get to see them in the morning before I go to work during the darker months.
It doesn’t seem to be enough to change their laying.

 

[FireGal]

I have a small light, more of a night light, at this time of year. It’s not the eggs for me, the girls just seem to like going in the coop and getting settled better when they can see a bit. Our security light provides enough light for me to see our chicken yard and coop, but it’s dark inside the coop. They just seem calmer to me. Just my opinion and it may just be my girls.