Never had chickens before, got 4 now.

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RSmith

RSmith

In the Brooder
5 Years
May 23, 2014
25
2
31
Pacific Northwest
Do they need a little night light or are they OK in the pitch black darkness of the coupe? I read where someone said they need some light at night so they can get up on, or down from, the roost during the night? Can chickens see in the dark? I am thinking they are OK in the dark, does anyone KNOW different?
 
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No, your chickens do not need a night light. As the daylight decreases, they will make their way onto the roost before it is too dark for them to see. During the short winter days, you might want to add some kind of supplemental light to increase the length of their day but if you do, turn the added light on early in the morning not in the evening as this can actually prevent the chickens from finding the roost when the supplemental light is turned off.
 
Hello :frow and Welcome To BYC! You might like to check out the BYC Learning Center, lots of good articles on all aspects of chicken keeping you will find useful. https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center X2 chickens generally do not need light at night. Some people will keep a small light on in their coop for a short time in the evening if their coop is really dark and the chickens are reluctant to go in. Otherwise they only need added light in the winter if you are trying to keep them laying, which is best added in the morning.
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
frow.gif


X2 on not needing light. It is best that they have complete darkness for at least 8 hours a night for the best of health. Even a tiny bit of light can disturb the laying cycle and their health.

Good luck with your flock and welcome to ours!
 
Thank you for the reply / all the replies.
They are only 5 1/2 weeks old now. They don't seem to come out any less rested when I left the light on all night for some warmth during a cold snap, being chicks, I didn't want them to croak from the cold and figured better warm & safe than take a chance & have them perish for a lack or warmth.
Now we are just closing up the coop at night after they retreat into it at dusk, then opening it up again at dawn, they seem to be happy as can be, always just roosting when in the coop, all seems very natural. I suppose the less we do is the better, they seem to have a life all of their own for sure.
 
RSmith said:
Thank you for the reply / all the replies.
They are only 5 1/2 weeks old now. They don't seem to come out any less rested when I left the light on all night for some warmth during a cold snap, being chicks, I didn't want them to croak from the cold and figured better warm & safe than take a chance & have them perish for a lack or warmth.
Now we are just closing up the coop at night after they retreat into it at dusk, then opening it up again at dawn, they seem to be happy as can be, always just roosting when in the coop, all seems very natural. I suppose the less we do is the better, they seem to have a life all of their own for sure.
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Yes, just let them decide when they are ready to venture outside. And definitely lock up the coop every night. Very nice flock! They are so cute at this age. :)
 
They seem eager to come out in the yard, I am sure they would if we left the run door open, but we were thinking of waiting a couple more months until they get big enough that the cat will ignore them; cat seems to have a little too much interest in birds this size and we don't trust her quite yet.
 

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