If you do go for a fluorescent bulb, however, be sure to purchase a “warm” wavelength bulb – which appears yellow, orange or reddish in color – since these will stimulate chickens’ reproductive cycles. As long as your chickens get 8 hours of roosting time, this is the only time when it can be dark. Let’s elaborate on the subject…. More eggs = more food and/or more money (if you sell your eggs). (And honestly, it is really easy to trick a chicken’s body.). Lighting programme for broilers is as follows: Ensure 24 hours of light for the first 3 days after hatching. Need? If used successfully it can influence aspects of growth, productivity and behaviour, and is therefore the subject of intense research. Furnish continuous light for the first 48 hours while the baby chicks are getting oriented to the brooder and to the feeders and drinkers. I noticed that my chickens do much better in cold weather than in the heat of the summer. For further information, check out this study on the effect of light intensity on egg production. If I didn’t I would have to be out there twice a day changing their water in December and January. Get a free excerpt from my book, Attainable Sustainable: The Lost Art of Self-Reliant Living! But do chickens need light at night? Ensure that you are feeding and supplementing your girls so that their bodies can keep up with the extra demands that extending laying puts on them. If your chickens are let out early every day, without fail, and closed up at dusk, they can do fine without light. If you leave a light on for 24 hours straight in your chicken coop, your flock will recognize it as sunlight and not get the restful sleep they need. DO LAYERS NEED LIGHT AT NIGHT? • Do you want the heat lamps turned off? Eat fewer eggs, I suppose. Note: please stay away from Teflon coated bulbs, as they emit toxic fumes that are damaging your birds’ health. Read more, Previous: Five Reasons to Ditch the Lawn and Plant a Front Yard Garden, Next: 10 Good Reasons to Raise Ducks for Eggs (And How they Compare to Chicken Eggs), May contain affiliate links. Your hens will do much better with as few roosters as possible. After 72 hours their yolk sacs are gone and they need food and water. Ensure 18 hours of light and 6 hours of darkness daily at 4-6days of age. So, if you’ve ever asked yourself, “do chickens need light at night?”, the answer is no. Remember, chickens don’t eat … So, if you’ve ever asked yourself, “do chickens need light at night?”, the answer is no. Check out our article, How Cold is Too Cold For Chickens?, to find out! While some chicken keepers prefer eggs as a seasonal food, others choose a bulb to get a constant egg supply throughout the winter. Adding supplemental light at the end of the day, allows no transition time for them to get positioned for sleeping. I try to raise my chickens as naturally as possible, which includes allowing them to follow their natural cycle, even in the winter. The heat lamps do not produce enough light to interfere with the lighting program. Supplemental light will counteract the lack of daylight, stimulating the hen's pituitary gland which is what signals her ovaries to release her egg. Supplemental lighting for chickens can have some benefits, but only you can decide if chicken coop lights are something you’d like to install. Now we are in October and going into the cooler months and looking forward to no eggs again. Ensure there are no areas in the coop that are shaded from the light. Related: Your Winter Duck Coop: Keeping Ducks in Cold Weather. Have given them DE, wormed them, check them and the coop for mites, had them checked by the vet and the coop is cleaned weekly, they get plenty of sunshine and fresh air and are allowed to free range a portion of the day. Why do hens need light to yield eggs? We add some extra light, and just installed a easy remote- https://littlehomesteadinboise.blogspot.com/2013/10/independence-days-lighting-coop.html Since we still have to feed the girls in the winter, we want some eggs, but don’t expect the normal amount…. Baby chicks, less than one week old will need to be kept at a temperature of 90 degrees Fahrenheit. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Consult the chicken heat table when determining if … I did try using a light, but they are being very stubborn. Do the same with their food. The light Lacking artificial light they settle into a long night’s sleep as soon as dusk arrives and don’t wake until tomorrow’s dawn. Chickens need light to lay because their reproductive cycle is triggered by the natural photoperiod, or light-dark cycle. Their daily schedule is set by daylight. The answer to the question “do chickens need heat in winter?” is a complicated one, but here’s what I do. Although fluorescent lights are less expensive to operate, they’re trickier to maintain in dusty environments, and the entire fixture has to be changed to adjust its intensity. I was also told that they eat more when they are super cold, so keeping the coop a little warmer cuts down on feed cost when they aren’t earning their keep. At age 7-21, ensure 12 hours of lighting and 12 hours of darkness daily. Putting chicken lights, cords, and electricity in a coop poses a serious fire risk. If the lamps are the only source of light in the room, the birds will behave as if it is night time. Chickens will be able to roost naturally with the setting of the sun, if light is used during morning hours. or do I just live with freeloading chickens and no eggs? Just remember that 12 – 16 hours of light per day is the ideal.Let us know about your decision, questions, thoughts, and ideas in the comment section below. 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