Poultry Lighting & Supplemental Light Hours
Lights layers
Get the target, supplemental and monthly light hours for layers (~16 h), broilers and chicks — supplemental light tops up natural daylight to the target and gives the monthly program.
Plan your poultry lighting
Next: set timers to deliver the 5 h of extra light around dawn and dusk so the layer flock sees a steady 16 h photoperiod every day.
Targets are typical; consult your breed's management guide. Layers need a non-decreasing photoperiod; never cut day-length for birds in lay.
Poultry lighting — key facts
- Layers
- ≈ 16 hours to sustain laying
- Broilers
- long days for intake
- Chicks
- near-continuous light early
- Supplemental
- target − natural daylight
- Layer rule
- never cut day length in lay
- Change
- gradual, not sudden
- Outputs
- target, supplemental, monthly
- Privacy
- Runs in your browser; nothing uploaded
Light is the dial that drives growth and laying
Light controls poultry as surely as feed does. Layers held on about 16 hours of light a day keep their reproductive system switched on and keep laying; broilers given long days keep eating and growing; and day-old chicks need near-continuous light to find feed and water and get a strong start. Natural daylight rarely matches these targets on its own, so you top it up with supplemental house lighting on a timer.
This tool gives the target light hours, the supplemental hours to add, the monthly light-hours total and the stage from your daylight and bird type. Use it to set timers, plan the program and estimate lighting use across the month. Pair it with the Poultry Brooding, Egg Production Rate and Broiler Growth Standard tools for a full flock plan.
Sustain egg laying
Hold layers near 16 hours of light.
Drive broiler intake
Long days keep meat birds eating.
Top up daylight
Add exactly the supplemental hours needed.
Plan the month
Monthly light hours for timers and budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does light matter for poultry?+
Light is a key management lever in poultry. It sets the daily rhythm that drives growth, feed intake and egg laying. Layers need a long, steady day to keep producing eggs, broilers use long days to keep eating and growing, and young chicks need near-continuous light early on to find feed and water. Getting the lighting program right is as important as the diet.
How does this calculator work?+
You tell it the bird stage and your natural daylight hours. It gives the target light hours for that stage, the supplemental hours you must add to reach the target, and the monthly light-hours total — so you can set timers and plan the program rather than guessing.
How many light hours do layers need?+
Laying hens are generally kept on about 16 hours of light a day to sustain egg production. A long, constant day signals the hen's reproductive system to keep laying. Crucially, you never cut day length for layers in production, because a falling photoperiod can stop them laying — you hold or gently increase it.
What about broilers?+
Broilers are grown for meat, so the aim is intake and growth. Long light periods keep them eating and growing fast, though most programs build in some dark hours for welfare, leg health and rest. The target here reflects a long day for intake; tune the exact dark period to your program and welfare standards.
Why do chicks need near-continuous light?+
In the first days of life chicks must find feed and water and learn to eat. Near-continuous bright light early on helps them locate resources and get a strong start, and day length is then stepped down gradually as they grow into the program for their type. The early stage in this tool reflects that high requirement.
What is supplemental light?+
Supplemental (or artificial) light is the extra lighting you add to natural daylight to reach the target day length. If the birds need 16 hours and you get 11 hours of daylight, you supplement 5 hours — usually split before dawn and after dusk with timed house lights. This tool works out exactly how many supplemental hours you need.
How is the monthly light total useful?+
Multiplying the daily light hours across the month gives the monthly light-hours figure, which is handy for planning timer schedules, estimating lighting electricity use, and comparing programs. It turns a daily target into a month-scale number you can budget and track against.
Should I change day length suddenly?+
No — changes should be gradual and, for layers in lay, never decreasing. Step day length up or down in small increments so birds adapt, and keep light intensity and timing consistent. Abrupt swings stress birds, can knock egg production, and disrupt feeding patterns.
Does this replace a breed lighting program?+
It's a strong planning guide for target and supplemental hours by stage, but breed and primary-breeder guides give species- and strain-specific programs, intensities and step schedules. Use this to set up and check your timers, then follow your breed manual and local welfare rules for the fine detail.