Artificial Lighting for Winter Egg Production

There are several reasons why laying hens decrease production or stop laying entirely in fall and winter. The main reason is light! Or rather… a lack of it.

Chickens, like many other animals, require some form of light stimulation for reproduction. Photoperiod (hours of light per day) directly influences the production of reproductive hormones in chickens and will affect how many eggs your hens are laying.

When photoperiod decreases, chickens begin to lose and replace feathers (molt), and egg production decreases or stops entirely. In the United States, this happens most often in September and October when the photoperiod reaches and dips below 12 hours per day. It does not harm the birds to allow them to molt naturally. They will return to production again in the spring.

However, if year-round egg production is one of your flock goals, artificial lighting is one of the best ways to support laying hens. Here are some tips for lighting the home flock:

• Use timers. For mature laying hens, aim for 16 hours of light per day. This simulates the photoperiod in summer, which is ideal for supporting peak egg production. Be careful not to go over this as too long a photoperiod causes stress in chickens. Make sure hens still get a dark period. They need sleep, too!
• Easy transition is important to minimize stress. Increase or decrease photoperiod slowly, no more than 1 hour difference each week. Light-stressed birds will be restless and flighty and may peck at others in the flock.
• Combine artificial and natural lighting for open-sided housing and free-range flocks. One example of this is to provide artificial light in the early morning and then let the natural sunset tell the birds when to come back to the coop to roost for the night. It is good to develop a lighting program for the year to plan timer adjustments.
• Provide the best light color. Chickens need orange and red wavelengths of light for reproduction. Look for "warm" bulbs (not heat lamps!) rated less than 3500K. K stands for Kelvins and can be found on the base of the bulb and on the box it came in. A typical "daylight" or "white light" bulb will also work as long as it is not too green or blue.
• Don't make the lights too bright. Hens only need a minimum of ½ foot-candle (5 lux) to stimulate egg production. Using lights that are too bright can lead to stress and pecking problems, so only use bulbs up to 30-40 watts. However, make sure the light you choose is still bright enough for you to be able to see all parts of the coop and inspect birds for any injuries.
• Use the bulb type that works best for you. Incandescent, LED, and other types are all fine as long as they meet the color and brightness needed.
• Put safety first. Be aware of fire risks with any electrical wiring and devices in the coop. Check lights and wiring for dust build-up and place them where birds cannot jump on them or peck at them.