Hens are creatures of light. Their reproductive cycle is driven by a tiny gland in the brain called the pineal gland, which responds to how many hours of daylight they receive. In the UK, natural daylight swings from around eight hours in December to nearly seventeen in late June. For a hen to lay consistently, she generally needs between fourteen and sixteen hours of light per day. Below that, her laying slows or stops altogether. This is not a fault or a sign of poor health. It is evolution. Our native garden birds, from blue tits to song thrushes, follow exactly the same cue. Lengthening days tell them to breed; shortening days tell them to rest and moult.
Understanding this rhythm is the first step to becoming a thoughtful poultry keeper. It also helps you appreciate why your hens behave differently in January compared with May.
As autumn arrives and daylight hours shrink, two things happen in your flock. First, egg production tapers off. Second, your hens begin to moult. Moulting is the process of shedding old feathers and growing new ones. It takes between eight and twelve weeks, and during that time a hen diverts protein and energy away from egg production and into feather growth. Most hens stop laying completely while they moult.
British garden birds do something very similar. After the breeding season, often in late summer, they moult too, growing a fresh set of feathers to see them through the cold months. For both hens and wild birds, this is a period of recovery. The hen's reproductive tract gets a rest, and her body repairs itself. If you try to force her through it with extra light, you risk exhaustion, small or misshapen eggs, and even prolapse. Let nature take its course.
Many back garden keepers add artificial light to the coop to keep hens laying through winter. This can work, but it must be done carefully. The aim is to extend the day to fourteen hours, never more than sixteen. A sudden jump from eight hours to fourteen shocks the birds and can cause stress. Instead, increase light by thirty to forty-five minutes per week until you reach your target.
Use a timer, and add the extra light in the morning rather than the evening. That way, hens go to roost naturally as dusk falls. A small LED bulb of five to ten watts, hung about two metres above the litter, is plenty. Avoid bright white light; a warm white or red bulb is calmer. Crucially, provide at least eight hours of complete darkness. If you can read a newspaper in the coop at midnight, it is far too bright.
Hens forced to lay continuously without a break can suffer. They need extra calcium and protein to support constant egg production, and without it they deplete their own bones. Bright, crowded coops also encourage feather pecking and bullying. Then there is the effect on your garden birds. British garden birds need dark nights for roosting and for navigation during migration. A coop glowing until ten o'clock can confuse blackbirds and robins, causing them to sing at the wrong time or waste precious energy. Light spill also disrupts the natural behaviour of moths and other insects that birds feed on.
You can reduce the impact by shielding the light so it points downwards, or by using blackout curtains around the coop windows. But it is worth asking whether a winter break is kinder. Many traditional British breeds, such as the Sussex or the Orpington, naturally rest in winter and live longer for it.
Practical observation is your best guide. If your hens have bright red combs, are active, and are laying well, then your lighting routine is probably fine. If they are moulting, stop all artificial light immediately and let them rest. Offer extra protein: sunflower hearts, mealworms, or a little scrambled egg. For wild birds, keep feeders clean and provide high-fat food in winter, such as suet balls or black sunflower seeds.
Both hens and garden birds benefit from a varied garden with shrubs for cover and insect-rich lawns. A coop light on a timer can coexist with wild birds if it is shielded. Watch for signs of trouble. If robins or dunnocks avoid your feeder at dusk, or if you hear birds singing at midnight, the light may be the cause. Adjust the timer or move the bulb.
In spring, natural daylight increases on its own. No artificial light is needed, and your hens will lay more as the days lengthen. Garden birds begin nesting, so keep cats away and provide nesting material. In summer, your hens reach peak lay. Provide shade and plenty of fresh water. Wild birds are busy feeding their young, so keep feeders topped up with live mealworms if you can. In autumn, your hens moult. Turn off the coop light entirely, switch to a higher-protein feed, and let their feathers regrow. Garden birds moult too, often looking scruffy for a few weeks. In winter, your hens can rest, or you can give a gentle two to three-hour morning boost. Keep the coop dark at night and feed the wild birds daily.
Remember, a hen is not a machine. She has a finite number of eggs, and pushing her year-round often shortens her life. Letting her follow the British seasons, with a natural moult and a winter rest, usually means a longer, healthier, and happier bird. Your garden birds will thank you for dark nights, natural rhythms, and a little extra food when the frost bites.
Perch & Roost shares practical, down-to-earth guidance on back garden poultry keeping and british garden birds for readers across the UK.
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