Light in Coop for egg layers

[Farmer Kitty]

I have a coop that has one very small window. I have found that when it is dark outside it is pitch black inside. When mine started laying I was receiving numerous rubber shelled eggs and the early morning layers weren't laying in the nest boxes. I left the light on all night and the rubber shells stopped and they layed in the boxes. When we tried to go without it again the egg problems started again and they started staying out in their run, where the yardlight shines, at night. I now have a 7 1/2 watt bulb (called a nightlight bulb for regular sockets) in the coop and it the chickens are happy.

 

[schmoo]

Thanks for the answers. I too would be concerned that they would need to lay before sunrise. I have the light come on about an hour before sunrise right now because I just left it the same as it was this summer. By the time the sun does come up and I go out there I have about 7 eggs already. I guess I'll just leave it the way it is. They put themselves to bed at about 7pm and the light goes off shortly after. So its pitch black at night. Is that OK?

 

[MissPrissy]

I think it is fine.

Remember, hens lay generally on a 25 hour cycle - 1 hour later each day, possibly even skipping a day before starting the cycle again. Some hens will lay pretty much the same time every day an others won't. A light will not make your hens lay the eggs for you only in the morning. Check your hen house more than onc a day to collect eggs.

 

[speckledhen]

I'm sorry I didnt get back to your post before now. It got lost in the shuffle! You can do it whatever way you choose. On rainy days inside my coop is dark so I have a 15 watt light in a brooder type lamp that I switch on for them, more to encourage them to stay in out of the rain than anything else. They seem to do that better when it's a little lighter inside. The last thing you described seems fine to me. I believe the reproductive cancers would more be caused by an over-extended daylight, such as 16 hours or more. Just a little light as they come in to roost and going off soon after wouldn't cause that, IMO. It's not that you can't have any light in there slightly before daylight or slightly after roost time; I just am not going to really extend the day of my girls like I did the first year I had chickens.

 

[schmoo]

Thank you very much ladies. I love this place. You are all so awesome!