HOW TO LIGHT A CHICKEN COOP
The major usage of the light will determine how you choose to put lighting in your chicken coop. A simple incandescent bulb will do the work if all you want to do is light the coop so you can feed or clean in the dark. You'll need to set timers if you want to trick your hens into believing the days are longer so they'll keep laying.
tampering with nature
You'll notice that your chickens are laying fewer eggs or no longer producing any as fall approaches and the days become shorter. That's partly because chickens need around 14 hours of sunshine each day to consistently produce eggs. In order to trick the hens' bodies into believing that it is still spring or summer, even if it may be freezing outside, you may put artificial lights inside the coop if you don't want to wait till spring to have a supply of fresh eggs.
Lighting Styles
Farmers painted the inside of chicken houses white before electricity was available to improve the quantity of light reflected. Nowadays, backyard flock owners have the option of either fluorescent or incandescent illumination. The finest option for the backyard chicken keeper is an incandescent bulb.
Although fluorescent lighting is less expensive, it is more challenging to install and maintain in the dusty atmosphere of a chicken coop, according to the University of Nebraska at Lincoln website. Since the bird's reproductive cycle won't be stimulated by conventional fluorescent lights, you'll additionally need a red or orange wavelength bulb. Depending on the size of the coop, one or two incandescent 40 watt bulbs work well for the majority of domestic flocks. Put the lights where they will best provide light on the main body of the coop. Regularly clean the lightbulbs.
Timers Make the Difference
Install timers on your lights and vary them when the seasons change if you want to trick your chickens into believing the days are still long. Only nine hours of natural light are available in the dead of winter, so set your timers appropriately. It's preferable to set timers such that the additional light hours arrive before dawn rather than tack them on to the evening. In this manner, you avoid interfering with your flock's routine for roosting.
Lighting Powered by the Sun
Consider mounting a solar-powered light emitting diode, or LED, on the outside of your chicken coop if you've had problems with predators. The light absorbs energy from the sun's beams throughout the day and stores it. The light begins flashing a little red light as soon as the sun goes down and stops when dawn arrives. This light frightens away common predators like foxes and raccoons, preventing them from approaching your coop and killing your hens while they rest.
