Supplemental light for outdoor chicks?

[snkjohnson]

I’m raising 21 chicks out in my coop, it’s September 15th and they are just over a week old. I live in northern Utah and the days are getting shorter. Should I be providing supplemental light to ensure a certain number of hours of “daylight” for them? Or is it fine to just let it be lit by the natural light as is? I’ve read that chicks raised in the fall can be more prone to reproductive issues due to the different lighting schedule than if they were raised as normal in the spring? Is that a myth?

 

[Poultry Showman]

Probably not. Chickens will put themselves to bed according to the daylight. In the winter here in Iowa my chickens go to bed at five o'clock. Because if the sun went down it was time for them to go to bed apparently! I think they'll be okay. Do you have any other older chickens to teach them when to go to bed?

 

[snkjohnson]

Probably not. Chickens will put themselves to bed according to the daylight. In the winter here in Iowa my chickens go to bed at five o'clock. Because if the sun went down it was time for them to go to bed apparently! I think they'll be okay. Do you have any other older chickens to teach them when to go to bed?

I don’t have any others. The supplemental light would turn on in the morning so as to not disrupt bedtime, in just wondering if it matters whether they get less light than they normally would when being raised.

 

[Poultry Showman]

I don't think it matters. It might be healthier for them to learn on their own though. It's your choice.

 

[nuthatched]

They don't need any supplemental light during this time.