I'm new to the chickens. My wife and I have 4 hens and one rooster that will be one Easter. We have a regular light bulb attached to the side. We have been leaving it on all day and night. They all go into the coop at night and roost with the light on. Is it OK to keep it on? If not when do I need to cut it off and on. I'm getting 3 eggs daily. Just curious. Wanting advice or just knowledge.
They would prefer to be able to sleep in the dark just as we do. Lights are really not necessary at all. Some people will use a light to encourage them to lay over the winter months, while others prefer to allow them to take a natural break from laying, to ensure good health - i.e., laying is a highly intensive process that takes a toll on their bodies and allowing them to take a natural break can prevent some of the egg laying issues. Those who do put lights in the coop, usually have it on a timer that comes on around 4am and shuts off by 8am. By then the natural daylight should provide enough light. If you don't have windows in your coop and it is dark all the time, you might want to let it stay on all day, but have it shut off after they have all had a chance to get on the roosts at night.
I light my coop at 5AM to 5PM in winter. This way they will go inside and go to roost on their own, but by providing just 12 hours minimum a day in winter, they will lay eggs. As the days get longer, that light comes on later each morning, then by summer they don't really need one. But chickens do need to sleep in the dark at night. I don't like my light going off after dark because some may be caught off the roost when the light would go out, and could not see to get on a roost to sleep.
