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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/chick-light-hours

How many hours of light a day are recommended for steady egg laying?

14 to 16 hours, which may mean adding light on a timer.

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  1. 14 to 16 hours ✔
  2. 6 to 8 hours
  3. 24 hours, with no dark at all

Why: UGA Extension recommends 14 to 16 hours of daylight for egg laying, and house lights on a timer can add the extra time. Penn State says not to light adult birds more than 16 hours a day.

Huh, didn't know that: UGA Extension advises using a timer to switch supplemental coop lights on and off.

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Why did the hen ask for a lamp? She wanted to work the late shift.
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References

Answer: 14 to 16 hours. UGA Extension recommends 14 to 16 hours of daylight for egg laying, and house lights on a timer can add the extra time. Penn State says not to light adult birds more than 16 hours a day.

  1. UGA Extension: Management Guide for the Backyard Flock (C969) fieldreport.caes.uga.edu/publications/C969/management-guide-for-the-backyard-flock
    Fourteen to 16 hr of daylight are recommended; supplementing daylight with house lights can simulate this. Use a timer
    Checked 2026-10-11.
  2. Penn State Extension: Successfully Raising a Small Flock of Laying Chickens extension.psu.edu/successfully-raising-a-small-flock-of-laying-chickens
    Do not light adult birds for more than 16 hours daily.
    Checked 2026-10-11.
  3. UGA Extension: Management Guide for the Backyard Flock (C969) fieldreport.caes.uga.edu/publications/C969/management-guide-for-the-backyard-flock
    Use a timer to switch the lights on and off.
    Checked 2026-10-11.

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