Lighting and the molt

[Sakmeht1]

Hi all,

I'm adding light to my coop for the first time this year. Should I wait until they are completely out of the molt and all feathered in? Most are almost finished, I just have one hen that's still looking a bit ragged.

Thanks!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It may not matter but I usually wait till all are completely recovered. This period allows their reproductive tracts a break and rejuvenation time. When you do add light, it's best to add it gradually to simulate increasing day length after winter solstice.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! We manage coop lighting lots of different ways, and probably it's all okay in a backyard setting.
Some people don't extend daylight with lighting ever, and that's fine if you are good with drastically lower winter egg production. Some birds will lay eggs anyway, others won't.
Some of us use a timer to turn a small light on from fall to spring, and that does promote higher winter egg production, although it won't match summer.
My coop has a light on 4am to 8am from October to late April. It works for me!
Birds in molt won't be laying eggs, or at least very few. Having a mixed flock, different breeds and ages, helps to spread out molting times too. Mary