Anson County Extension office has advice for a light management for home for those whom desire to invest in a small chicken flock.
“Caring for a small chicken flock can be a very rewarding experience and now that daylight hours are falling some small flock owners are wondering whether to light their chickens or not,” said Aaron Moore, area specialized agent for small farms.”
Moore said that extra light is because hens lay eggs with increased daylength and 14 to 16 hours is optimal for egg production.
“As our daylight decreases in the fall we reach a point where supplemental lighting has to be supplied to keep hens laying consistently through the winter,” he said. “You don’t need any special equipment to light your hens.”
Moore added that a regular full spectrum incandescent or LED light bulb, and a timer to turn it on and off will be fine.
He advises that timer be set to turn the lights on in the early morning before sunrise.
“I prefer morning lighting over evening because the gradually decreasing light at sunset lets your hens know it’s time to move into the coop and roost for the night,” he added. “If you set your timer for the evening then the transition from light to complete darkness is sudden and makes it difficult on your animals to get on their roost for the night.”
Moore suggested that small chicken farmers keep in mind that egg production puts a lot of stress on a hen’s body; and winter is a good time for hens to take a rest from laying.
“My suggestion would be if you decide you would like to push your hen’s egg production into the winter provide supplemental light until Jan. 1,” he added. “At that time you can stop using lights and let your chickens rest until spring.”
For those new to keeping chickens, Moore said that supplemental lighting during fall and winter is not necessary but it’s a tool that can use to keep hen’s egg production up during that time.
“Many chicken owners prefer to let their chicken’s egg production naturally follow the seasons and deal with the egg shortage for a few weeks,” Moore added. “Whichever method you choose, making a plan for managing you birds this winter will be a good step toward having healthy productive hens in the spring.”