Supplemental Coop Lighting For Egg Production
by Meghan H
Published January 2, 2023
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There is a lot of controversy over using artificial lighting in a coop during the dark winter months. Our goal here isn’t to tell you if you should or shouldn’t light your barn to get more eggs. We want to inform you of the pros and cons of using artificial lighting if you choose to do so.
Pros
- The hens aren’t “freeloading” as much.
- Your family has better food security during winter
- If you sell your eggs, you’ll retain more customers during the winter if you can keep egg production up.
Cons
- Any interruption in the lighting schedule may trigger a molt.
- Reproductive issues such as vent prolapse or shell issues may develop.
- Behavioral issues such as egg eating or picking could arise. Hens with a lighted coop but no outside access in the early morning hours get bored and may behave badly.
- Light added in the evening may delay the chickens from roosting, leading to possible nighttime exposure to nocturnal predators.
If you add extra lighting to your coop to keep egg production up, we recommend using a timer for the lights and having it come on early in the morning instead of at night. Early morning light will give the hens the 15 hours of daylight they need for production but still allow them to que into the natural sunset to roost properly in the evening. Just be aware that in the extreme northern US states, this could mean that your lights need to come on at 4 am. If you have a rooster, he will be crowing at 4 am!
How to Implement A Change in Lighting
Let’s say you’ve decided to add supplemental lighting. For your flock’s health and peaceful pecking order, don’t suddenly give them a 4 am wake-up light in the middle of December! Going from 9 hours of daylight to 15 abruptly may lead to the behavioral troubles mentioned earlier. I prefer to add 15 minutes more light each week until I’ve worked the schedule up to the 15-hour photoperiod needed for laying. Yes, it will take several weeks or months, depending on what time of the year you’re implementing a change. It’s safer and healthier for the hens to make lighting changes gradually over several weeks and in small increments.
Or Let Them Take a Break
It’s also perfectly acceptable not to add supplemental lighting and let the hens take a fall break. If you’ve stored up extra eggs during the spring and summer by water glassing your extra eggs, you may get enough eggs from your flock even without extra lighting to get through the winter.
Do you use artificial lighting for your laying hens? Leave us a comment and tell us how it works for you. Or do you prefer to let them take a break for the winter?
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Does the type of lighting matter or do we need to use a certain kind of bulb?
Hi Aurora. Thank you for reading our blog. As long as you stay away from using “shatterproof” or “safety” bulbs, any type of lighting will work; LED, compact fluorescent or incandescent.
I say by all means, GIVE THEM A BREAK!! SO many are already bred to produce more than ever intended…. and the reproductive issues that appear to be all but a given now by a certain point in their lives….this only increases the likelihood….but of course it’s only MY opinion 😉 but having lost 2 since Feb. to Reproductive illness and having one more that’s sick and one that’s starting to lay more soft shelled eggs, I may be down to one chicken soon.
I WILL be looking for a responsible breeder to get a heritage breed that has not been altered for production purposes at all that they’re aware of at least… Have not read anything about you guys- so NOT saying you do this- by any means….was on here looking at the info you provide for necropsies to confirm the diagnoses I suspected and treated her for but would love confirmation to help treat the rest of the flock.
I personally was completely unaware of this issue until it was too late- got my chicks from a “chick days” local feed store that came from a ‘big name’ Hatchery… and though I DID know they were specifically bred for more colored egg production by purposefully breeding a colored egg heritage breed with a prolific brown egg layer, I did NOT know this was going to be detrimental to the chicken’s life!
Laying eggs is tough business 😉 and their poor little bodies could at least use the break that God intended… but again- I’m not using them for income- even if I was- I’d have more of them and stagger my chicks to have plenty in their prime laying years at all times….during natural times. 😉
I’m sorry for any intensity in my comment but I’m grieving a pretty special little girl who suffered more than she deserved! (and that was with all the help I could give her!)
ChickenMama,
Thank you for visiting our blog! While I personally don’t use supplemental light during the darker parts of the year, I understand that some people have different needs or preferences when it comes to raising chickens. It’s always valuable to have a comprehensive understanding of the options available for chicken keeping. At Meyer Hatchery, we prioritize ethical breeding practices and strive to educate our customers and the broader chicken community about various aspects of raising chickens, empowering them to make well-informed decisions.
I’m sorry to hear that you’re experiencing difficulties with deaths in your flock. Losing a bird is never easy. I strongly recommend reaching out to your local extension office or an avian vet for assistance. They possess a wealth of resources and expertise that can help you determine the exact cause behind the unfortunate incidents with your birds.
Lauren and all of you, I received my 3 chicks. All were healthy. I kept them a day in the brooder, then that night put them 1 an hour under my broody hen. All was fine for the first 2 days, but this morning one of the chicks was dead. The other 2 are thriving going in and out of Mama broody hens belly. I realize I did not follow recommended procedures, but really wanted to make use of the broody hen! The other two came out briefly this morning, ate and ran all over the dog crate, jumping up onto Mama’s back. I really appreciate all of the consideration and care from your support staff. Hopefully this “experiment” with the broody hen will continue to go well. Today, tho wondering if I should just leave the regular light bulb on during the day for a little extra heat and light. Any thoughts? For those of you who think about contacting Customer Service at Meyer Hatchery, I wanted to say I am so grateful for all of the responses, support and consideration from several of their support staff. This is truly a class act, and I am a very grateful customer.
Hi Diana!
Thank you for taking the time to comment. We work hard to make sure our customers have a great customer service experience.
I hope things have gone better with your broody hen and her babies! I don’t think they need extra light if mama is caring for them and they are lively and acting healthy. Let us know if you ever need help with anything else in the future!