Lighting-how much is enough

[4ee2buff]

Hello BYC friends,

I have had to move my chickens due to coyotes in the area. They are now house in a coop which is safe but receives very little light (sometimes none). In the morning there is a dim filtered sunlight that hits their roost. Soon they will have access to a run that is covered and enclosed with a ceiling and 3 walls. filtered light enters on one side, there are some darker areas within the run.

So I guess my question is how strong does the light need to be? is filtered sunlight enough light?

When I use a light within their coop what type of light does it need to be? Do energy efficient light bulbs work?

Thanks
Colleen

 

[AKsmama]

Half a foot candle is all they need for egg-producing. That means just enough light for you to read a newspaper 6 inches from your eyes. Whether you provide anything stronger is your personal choice. I would think filtered sunlight would be sufficient. We have a single LED bulb in our coop that works well. Just make sure they have enough light at night to be able to see to get on the roosts.

 

[woodmort]

I have a 20w Bright Stick for a 12 X 12 coop--seems to work just fine and easy to install.

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

I use the curly energy efficient kind. It's the same bulb I put out there 1 1/2 yrs ago. I leave in on 5 am to 8 pm fall - spring.