Light in coop??

[aShMaNv]

Hello. Since the time change, my chickens have only been getting about 10 hours or so of sunlight. Also my egg production has stopped. I have always heard that chickens need 14 hours of light for egg production. So i put a light in my coop. How long do i leave it on? Can i leave it on all night or should i turn it off at a certain time every night?

 

[newchicksnducks]

Your chickens should have some "down" time without the light. Put the lights on a timer. If you can't connect the main lights to a timer, use a clamp light (secure with wire to make sure it cannot fall!) connected to the outlet with a timer. I've heard it is best to have the lights come on earlier and let the natural sunset for the evening. This allows the birds to find their way back to their roost for the night without a sudden darkness descending if the lights go out when it is dark outside. I've just put my lights on a timer too....I was down from 10-12 eggs a day to 1-2 eggs a day....and sometimes coming up with zero for the day!!

 

[FarmerJamie]

Agree with giving the girls some "down" time and having the lights and timer secured. We lock ours up at night and once it gets dark outside, they usually roost then anyways, so when the timer turns out the light, they're ready for bed anyways.

The light works, that's for sure. 0 eggs 3 weeks ago, I got 12 of 15 today.