Lights in the coop that AREN"T for egg production?

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Is this a thing that people do? Do the chickens like the coop as is (with natural light from windows, pop door, and vents, but still pretty dark) or would they be happier if they had a light in the coop to make it brighter during the day? I don't want to be forcing egg laying through winter, just wondering if chickens like a brighter coop better
Great question! I have a light on a timer during the winter months so they can get settled in. It's only about an hour or so after the door closes because it gets darker in there earlier than it is outside that time of year. I let them naturally lay as well. Hope that helps!
 
Originally I had my coop brightly lit, then went to all natural light. When it was brightly lit, the chickens would spend about half the day outside and half inside, depending on the hourly weather, and whether there was anything to do outside.

Since moving to all natural I've noticed (a) my girls are outside for longer periods of time even when it's 90 outside and only 75 in the coop. (b) my girls no longer eat food inside the coop. I've had to buy a new outside feeder so they literally wouldn't starve themselves. (c) if given the option, they will also only drink outside. If there is no other option they will go inside to drink, but they seem to drink less?

Since then I've compromised with one lightbulb in the darkest shadows opposite where the window is. The girls now come inside during extreme heat but otherwise haven't changed behavior.

So I would say in terms of chicken comfort it would depend on the personality of your flock. (mine is pretty flighty) And also what kind of climate your girls would have to put up with once they leave the coop.
 
When I let mine out to free range, they go into darker places to rest. When confined to the run, they go in and out of the coop lit with natural light. They don't need a light to find their way back as someone else posted. They come back when the sun gets low but not dark.
 
Black cat, did you really just get a puppy, so cute, puppy breath is the best.
I did! Here he is:
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Is this a thing that people do? Do the chickens like the coop as is (with natural light from windows, pop door, and vents, but still pretty dark) or would they be happier if they had a light in the coop to make it brighter during the day? I don't want to be forcing egg laying through winter, just wondering if chickens like a brighter coop better.
I like to have supplemental light in the coop at all times. They can be replaced with heat lamps in winter and keeps the hens laying more regularly, but also it seems to work quite well in keeping a lot of light-shy nocturnal predators at bay (our great horned owls especially don't seem to like it).
 

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