Should flock have a small nightlight?

[ChickPrincess]

Should there be a small nightlight in the coop? I was thinking a LED closet light (battery).
After I close them in, if one of them gets off the roost for whatever reason, I don't know if they get back up. It's pitch black in there.
Is it a good idea to have a small light?

 

[Red Barn Farms]

A light isn't really necessary. Normally at dusk the chickens will get on their roost and remain there till day light arrives. Chickens never actually get off the roosts during the night. Now as far as lights go I have red lights all around my run and coop area to help keep predators away.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

No. They don't need it.
Once they get on the roost they aren't going to come down and if they did they'd just hunker in the corner till morning.
They get used to the diminishing light and will make sure they roost before it gets too dark.

 

[ChickPrincess]

Thank you both! I wasn't sure if I was overthinking! lol
Red Barn, I tried those red lights (NightGuard). Did not work for me. I had several raccoons within a short distance away, one even climbing right over it!

 

[Red Barn Farms]

Thank you both! I wasn't sure if I was overthinking! lol
Red Barn, I tried those red lights (NightGuard). Did not work for me. I had several raccoons within a short distance away, one even climbing right over it!

I guess we're lucky to have no raccoons in our area. One thing about the red lights is certain animals do not see in color.

Animals with no color vision (monochromatic) include snakes, nocturnal lizards, rabbits, raccoons, mice, rats and guinea pigs.

http://www.cvhs.okstate.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=277

Editing to add:

Coons are hard to scare and are willing to risk some abuse to get what they want. I'm skeptical of anything that claims to scare them off. They are clever. But they're too stupid to figure out the Havahart trap; it works every time if you follow directions.

 

[ChickPrincess]

I guess we're lucky to have no raccoons in our area. One thing about the red lights is certain animals do not see in color.

Animals with no color vision (monochromatic) include snakes, nocturnal lizards, rabbits, raccoons, mice, rats and guinea pigs.

http://www.cvhs.okstate.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=277

Editing to add:

Coons are hard to scare and are willing to risk some abuse to get what they want. I'm skeptical of anything that claims to scare them off. They are clever. But they're too stupid to figure out the Havahart trap; it works every time if you follow directions.

Interesting! I didn't know that.
We've caught quite a few in the Havaharts, too. They always look so guilty in the morning in the trap. lol

 

[codechicken1]

I have been thinking about solar a light for the winter to prolong the daylight feeling, but I wonder if a light being on all night would bother them or alter behavior?

 

[ChickPrincess]

I have been thinking about solar a light for the winter to prolong the daylight feeling, but I wonder if a light being on all night would bother them or alter behavior?

Hmmm... I didn't think of it that way.
I was just thinking of a closet LED light, so it would be very minimal. Almost along the same lines as moonlight. Just to take the edge off of the complete darkness.

 

[TXchickmum]

We placed solar landscape lights at the front corners of both coops. (just looks nice from the back porch - blends in with the rest of the landscaping. -don't think it benefits the chickens too much as they are settled by dusk and remain so until the morning crowing begins. -and, the coops are completely open on the fronts with just wire/hardware cloth for ventilation due to the climate....so I guess the birds do have a bit of a glow from the lights.)

 

[Vicky2479]

If your hens are roosting when you go close the coop everynight then i wouldnt worry about it but if you find them on the floor instead of the roosts then maybe give it a go?
I recently got a new coop, it is much more closed in than the last one, I went out one night to check them and close the run and discovered all my hens on the floor, when the torch lit up the coop they all started to hop up on the roosts, I bought a solar light that is supposed to only stay on for a few hours but it is not strong enough so I take the torch out and leave it in the coop every night (the rechargeable battery lasts a couple hours).