It’s January, and like many of us, my girls (the chickens) and I are really feeling the effects of this long winter month! While the rime ice has been breathtaking—turning our trees into a sparkling winter wonderland—life inside the coop isn’t quite as magical.
Chickens can be messy and dusty, but today I want to share how we use lighting and heating in our coop to keep our flock happy and laying during the cold months.
Why Light Matters for Egg Production
Chickens do their best egg-laying when they get around 15 hours of light a day. Light has a huge impact on egg production, and since our winter days are much shorter than that, we need to supplement light in the coop. Without it, egg production slows down. In our setup, we rely on coop lights because we don’t have many windows, and the chickens need light to eat, scratch, play, and lay eggs.
Using Coop Lighting Year-Round
We use the ceiling lights all year round. However, in the summer months, when it’s hot, we don’t have them on too much. The chickens spend most of the lazy summer days outside in their large run.
When we had our smaller coop and didn’t have electricity, we ran an extension cord to supplement a little light in the winter months. This was to help with lighting as well as predator protection. Chickens can’t see in the dark at all. Now, we have our lights set on a timer (picture below), giving the flock about 12 hours of light during the winter.
Giving Chickens a Break in the Winter
Although we use lights to extend daylight hours, I’m okay with our girls having a break during the winter. While the lights keep them laying, egg production naturally slows down in the colder months. Chickens also need periods of darkness to get proper rest, so finding a balance between light and dark is important.
In warmer climates, chickens have more natural light, and they instinctively know when to go to bed. In these regions, you may not need to add any supplemental light at all. Here in Minnesota, our limited natural light makes lighting a necessity for our setup.
My chickens would be awfully unhappy and frankly unhealthy if we didn’t supplement a little light into their coop. It really does depend on your set up too. I know many people who raise backyard chickens here in Minnesota and don’t use any lighting. Because of our fairly closed set up (only two windows), we use it. I love to open the big doors up on warmer days to let more natural light and fresh air pour in. The chickens love it too!
The Role of Heat Lamps in Winter
I’d like to touch on heat lamp discussion really quick as well. The only time we use a heat lamp is if our heat panels can’t keep the brooder warm enough. We use them sparingly as I know there have been many coop fires due to these lamps. If you must use them, please make sure you’re checking the cords, connections and keeping them as dust free as you can. Fully feathered chickens do really well in the winter months! They have a built-in winter coat and can keep themselves quite comfortable.
For now, I’ll let the girls rest. Because as the days get longer, my egg basket will get fuller. And we all know with the current prices, full egg baskets are a blessing! If you really want your chickens to lay year-round, remember to supplement their light to around the 12–16-hour range. There are mixed thoughts on this, but the bottom line is that you need to do what’s best for your flock and family.
Until next time,
–The Wing Lady