When it comes to raising our backyard chickens, providing them with the right conditions is crucial for their health and productivity. One aspect that often gets overlooked is lighting. Natural light is important for chickens, but in certain situations, artificial lighting can be beneficial. In this blog post, we will explore why and how you should use artificial lighting in your chicken coop.
Why should you use artificial lighting?
Artificial lighting can be particularly useful in regions with shorter daylight hours or during the winter months when natural light is limited. By providing additional light, you can extend the number of productive hours for your chickens. This is especially important for egg-laying hens, as they require a certain amount of light to maintain their egg production.
Furthermore, artificial lighting can help regulate the circadian rhythm of your chickens. Just like humans, chickens have an internal clock that affects their behavior and overall well-being. By ensuring a consistent light schedule, you can help keep your chickens calm and reduce stress.
How should you use artificial lighting?
Before implementing artificial lighting in your chicken coop, it's important to consider a few factors. First, determine the optimal amount of light your chickens need. Generally, hens require around 14-16 hours of light per day to maintain egg production.
Next, choose the right type of lighting. LED lights are a popular choice for chicken coops due to their energy efficiency and long lifespan. Make sure to position the lights strategically to provide even illumination throughout the coop. In our How-to installation video we will walk you through the ideal locations within your coop and run.
In an article written by Sustainable Living Center Oregon, they state that "Many backyard hen and chicken farmers still utilize general-purpose residential and commercial 40W, 60W, and even 100W incandescent lamps in their coops. These lamps are well suited to human environments, but incandescent light is not the same as sunlight, and the best light for humans is not necessarily the best light for aviary (chickens and hens). Animals have evolved living under the sunlight, whose spectrum differs substantially from that of incandescent light.
Lighting stimulates hens to lay eggs. If you want to produce eggs year-round, you will need to install the correct type of lighting in your hen house." They go on to describe why a full spectrum LED is the most beneficial lighting solution for our feathery friends. If you would like more information regarding this study and others, please see our sources and additional research studies at the bottom of this post.
Establishing a Routine
It's also crucial to establish a consistent lighting schedule. Setting a timer to turn the lights on and off at the same time every day. This will help your chickens establish a routine and prevent any disruptions to their natural behavior. Before Coop Collective this meant manually changing the timer settings twice a week…which is very hard to do in practice….but it is very important! The Coop Collective Lay Lighting Solution does this work for you. Everyday enabling the on/off timing to change with the always changing setting sun. The goal is to make your supplemental light as natural as possible, so you should set your lights to turn on in the mornings. ALWAYS. And the light must come on slowly to replicate a sunrise so as not to shock the birds which will stress them out. The Coop Collective SOLAY Lighting System comes on slowly in the morning over a period of 30 minutes, to directly mimic the rising sun. This will allow the artificial light to fade into daylight, giving your flock a natural transition into day rather than plunging them into sudden darkness when the light turns off.
Remember, a well-lit chicken coop is a happy and healthy coop!
