6 Best Nesting Box Lighting For Increased Egg Laying Old Farmers Swear By
Increase egg laying with proper nesting box lighting. Explore 6 farmer-approved solutions to encourage consistent production and a more productive flock.
That first cold snap hits and suddenly your egg basket, once overflowing, is nearly empty. It happens every year like clockwork as the days get shorter. The good news is you don’t have to settle for store-bought eggs all winter; the solution is simpler and older than you think: supplemental light.
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Why Supplemental Light Boosts Winter Egg Production
A hen’s reproductive cycle is tied directly to daylight. When her internal clock senses less than 14 hours of light per day, it sends a clear signal to her body: winter is coming, so conserve energy and stop laying. This is a natural, healthy process for the bird.
Our goal with supplemental lighting isn’t to trick them with harsh, bright light 24/7. It’s to gently and consistently extend their "day" to that 14-to-16-hour sweet spot. This convinces their system that it’s still prime laying season, keeping production steady through the darkest months of the year.
Some folks worry this is unnatural or stressful for the flock. The truth is, a sudden plunge into darkness from a poorly timed light is far more stressful than a consistent, gentle sunrise. When done correctly, supplemental lighting simply maintains the productive rhythm your hens already follow during the long days of summer.
MyCoop Solar Light: The Off-Grid Lighting Solution
This bright solar light provides reliable indoor/outdoor lighting for sheds, barns, patios, and more. Control the light easily with the included remote and enjoy extended illumination thanks to the efficient 5W solar panel.
For those with a coop far from a power outlet, running extension cords is a hassle and a safety risk. The MyCoop Solar Light and similar products solve this problem elegantly. It’s a self-contained system with a small solar panel that you mount on the roof and an LED light that goes inside the coop.
The beauty is in its simplicity. There are no electricity bills, and installation takes minutes. It provides a soft, low-intensity light that’s perfect for smaller coops, giving just enough illumination to extend the day without being harsh. It’s the ultimate set-and-forget solution for an off-grid setup.
The obvious tradeoff is its reliance on the sun. During a long stretch of dreary, overcast winter days, you might find the light is dimmer or doesn’t last as long. It’s a fantastic, low-effort option, but you’re trading the reliability of the grid for the convenience of solar.
BN-LINK Timer: Automate Your Coop’s Day/Night Cycle
A light is useless without consistency, and a simple plug-in timer is the brain that makes it all work. This is arguably the most critical piece of equipment in your lighting setup. Without one, you’re relying on your own memory to turn the light on and off at the exact same time every day, which is a recipe for failure.
Here is the most important rule: always add supplemental light to the morning hours. Set your timer to turn on a few hours before sunrise, not stay on after sunset. This allows the flock to experience the natural sunset and find their way to the roosts. A light that suddenly clicks off after dark will leave birds stranded on the coop floor, confused and vulnerable.
Invest in a decent digital timer with a battery backup. A cheap mechanical timer can fail, and a power outage can reset its clock, throwing your whole schedule off. A reliable timer ensures that even if the power blips overnight, your hens’ "sunrise" still happens right on schedule.
GE’s A19 ‘Poultry’ LED Bulb for Optimal Spectrum
Not all light bulbs are created equal, especially in the eyes of a chicken. Standard, cool-blue LED lights can be harsh and stressful, sometimes even encouraging pecking and aggressive behavior. The light spectrum matters just as much as the duration.
GE’s ‘Poultry’ bulb is specifically designed to emit a warm, orange-red hue. This spectrum is calming to chickens and is thought to better stimulate the hormones responsible for egg production. It more closely mimics the gentle light of a natural sunrise.
Beyond the spectrum, this bulb is a low-wattage (9W) LED, making it incredibly energy-efficient and safe. It produces very little heat, which is a major fire safety advantage in a coop filled with dry bedding and dust. A single bulb is often enough to create a low-stress, productive environment in a standard backyard coop.
ChickenGuard Combi Kit: Light Sensor & Door Combo
If you’re looking for a fully automated, integrated system, the ChickenGuard Combi Kit is the top-tier solution. This isn’t just a light; it’s a system that combines a programmable automatic chicken door with a supplemental light that works in tandem with it.
The system’s light sensor opens the door at dawn and closes it securely at dusk. You can then program the separate, timer-controlled light to turn on in the pre-dawn hours, ensuring your flock gets its full 14-16 hours of light before the door even opens. It’s a seamless way to manage both their security and their laying schedule.
This level of convenience comes at a price, making it the most expensive option on this list. It’s for the hobby farmer who values automation and wants to eliminate multiple daily chores with a single, reliable device. While a simple timer and bulb achieve the same lighting goal, the ChickenGuard adds a layer of security and sophistication.
Brightech Ambience Pro Waterproof String Lights
Create a warm and inviting outdoor space with Brightech's Ambience Pro solar string lights. These 27-foot, commercial-grade lights feature shatterproof Edison bulbs and WeatherTite technology for durability in rain, snow, and winds up to 50 mph.
A single, central bulb can create harsh shadows in corners, which can spook birds or become areas for mischief. An excellent alternative, especially for larger coops, is to use a set of waterproof, outdoor-rated string lights. These distribute a soft, even glow throughout the entire space.
The key benefits are durability and light quality. Because they are designed for outdoor patios, these lights are built to withstand moisture and temperature swings. The distributed light eliminates dark corners, creating a more relaxed environment for the whole flock. Just be sure to get the shatterproof plastic bulb version, not glass.
This approach gives the coop a more ambient, natural feel than a single, bright point of light. You can run them along the ceiling, providing gentle illumination over the roosts, feeders, and floor space. It’s a practical and surprisingly effective way to light a larger or longer coop.
Mr. Beams Motion-Activated LED for Quick Checks
This light serves a completely different, but equally important, purpose. The Mr. Beams motion-activated light is not for stimulating egg production. It’s a utility light for you, the farmer, to make your life easier and less stressful for your flock.
Imagine needing to check on a broody hen or do a quick headcount after dark. Blasting the coop with a bright flashlight or flipping on the main overhead light wakes and panics the entire flock. Instead, you can mount one of these small, battery-powered lights just inside the door. It will pop on with just enough light for you to see what you’re doing and then turn off automatically.
It’s a simple tool that solves a common problem. It allows you to perform quick, necessary tasks in the dark without disrupting the whole flock’s sleep. For a few dollars, it adds a massive amount of convenience and reduces stress for everyone involved.
Proper Light Placement and Gradual Introduction
Where you put the light is just as important as what kind of light you use. The goal is to illuminate the general living area, not to spotlight the nesting boxes or roosts. Placing a single bulb in the center of the coop’s ceiling provides the most even distribution of light. This encourages the birds to come down from the roosts and start their day.
Never go from zero to sixty. A sudden jump from 9 hours of natural daylight to 15 hours of supplemented light is extremely stressful on a hen’s system. Begin adding light in the early fall, as the days noticeably shorten. Start by adding 30-45 minutes of light in the morning and increase it by another 30 minutes each week until you reach your 14-hour target.
Finally, always prioritize safety. Chickens are curious and dusty. Ensure all cords are secured out of their reach and use a simple wire cage around the bulb to prevent a bird from trying to roost on it. A hot bulb against dry straw is a fire waiting to happen, so a few simple precautions are non-negotiable.
Ultimately, keeping your hens laying through the winter comes down to consistency. Whether you choose a simple bulb on a timer or a fully automated solar setup, the principle is the same: provide a gentle, reliable "sunrise" each morning. With the right approach, you can enjoy fresh eggs right from your own backyard, even on the shortest days of the year.
