Must chooks get lots of sunlight

Hens and Hobbits · **Posted:** Sun Apr 01, 2012 12:42 pm

Chicka-Dee wrote:

So I think we have established that they like sun, but still haven't established how long. Which I think they determine for themselves.

Most definitely, as long as they have the opportunity to go out stretch their wings and sun bake, they are smart enough to know how much they can tolerate or need.

BrandonS · **Joined:** Thu Apr 26, 2012 8:34 pm **Posts:** 1

What about if I can only let them out on the week end and their coop has a total roof?

Chicka-Dee · **Joined:** Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:12 am **Posts:** 1194

BrandonS wrote:

What about if I can only let them out on the week end and their coop has a total roof?

So are you saying they get no sunlight at all during the week?

Surely some light comes in from the ides urging the day?

They dont need a lot, just a little per day is sufficient.

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

Ideally chooks should free range for about 3 hours per day. Don't ask where I got that information from, but I either read it some where or some very wise experienced chookie human told me or maybe even both.

Chicka-Dee · **Joined:** Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:12 am **Posts:** 1194

I thought that about 10 minutes of sunlight per day was sufficient?

Wouldn't the amount of free ranging be another issue over and above the amount of sunlight requirement for our beloveds?

wickedwings · **Posted:** Fri Apr 27, 2012 8:18 pm

Chicka-Dee wrote:

Surely some light comes in from the ides urging the day?

They should however beware the ides of March!

Petite Poulet · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm **Posts:** 5219

wickedwings wrote:

Chicka-Dee wrote:

Surely some light comes in from the ides urging the day?

They should however beware the ides of March!

wickedwings wrote:

Chicka-Dee wrote:

Surely some light comes in from the ides urging the day?

They should however beware the ides of March!

Now what has Julius Caesar's assassination the middle of March in the Northern Hemisphere got to do with sunlight in Autumn in Australia? And what has Shakespeare got to do with how much sunlight a chook needs?

In an eggshell, chooks need sunlight to produce eggs, a lack of sunlight/light with reduce egg production and lead to calcium deficiency related diseases such as Rickets. Chooks need 14-18 hours per day of light for optimum egg production, and sunlight for Vitamin D absorption. Three hours per day free ranging makes a chook happy :-D

They also forage and eat crunchy things in the garden and grass which all aid with egg production.

SallyV · **Joined:** Sat May 26, 2012 9:27 am **Posts:** 1

Have you thought about artificial lights in the middle of winter. I use 1 double fluro light in the hen house and my hens keep up the good work all year round and it gives them more play time

Hens and Hobbits · **Posted:** Sat May 26, 2012 6:13 pm

SallyV wrote:

Have you thought about artificial lights in the middle of winter. I use 1 double fluro light in the hen house and my hens keep up the good work all year round and it gives them more play time

Can someone please tell me, if artificial lights creates the same properties as natural sunlight in regards to Vitamin D for natural calcium absorption?

Chicka-Dee · **Joined:** Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:12 am **Posts:** 1194

Hens and Hobbits wrote:

Can someone please tell me, if artificial lights creates the same properties as natural sunlight in regards to Vitamin D for natural calcium absorption?

No it does not.

There is no bulb out there that does this. Even the solarium bulbs don't. All they do is burn your pigment, but don't have any Vitamin D benefits.

All artificial lighting does is trick plants (& animals) into doing what come naturally for longer.

Some debate that this is wrong (I.e: people shouldn't trick nature) & some say the opposite. I'm not coming into that argument what so ever.

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