Solar Light for Chicken Coop: An Eco-Friendly Solution

Anyone who keeps chickens will be well aware of the importance of a well-lit coop in which to keep their fowl all year around.

Good light keeps your chickens healthy and happy, just as it does for humans.

In addition, the right level of light is essential for reliable and viable egg production, which makes it all the more important to ensure that light is maintained even in the winter months.

There is a lot to consider when it comes to picking the best possible solar light for chicken coop efficiency - so many points, indeed, that different owners will prefer different lights depending on their features.

But some of the most essential considerations when you’re selecting solar lights for a chicken coop are: the efficiency of the solar panel when it comes to converting light into electricity; the battery life of the light; brightness of the light - it can’t be too bright, nor too dim; and timer functionality.

We’ve looked into all the important elements of the range of lights on the market and eight models have stood out in particular; these are as follows:

• Hentronix Coop Lighting Unit
• Bemexred Solar Lights
• Afoskce Solar Light Bulb
• YiaMia Solar Motion Lights
• Kyson Indoor Solar Barn Light
• Jior Solar Powered Shed Lights
• AGPTECK Solar Powered Shed Lights
• AmeriTop Solar Lights

Through a thorough testing process and analysis of customer satisfaction with each light, we’ve come to some conclusions on which lights will best suit your needs, and the results are laid out in the rest of this article.

Efficient lighting for your chicken coop

Not to get too deep into the weeds about the way a chicken’s reproductive system works, but their endocrine system is encouraged to lay eggs by the presence of light.

In the summer, they will get plenty of natural light just running around the yard. In winter, light is often hard to come by. The benefits of efficient solar light for your chicken coop are, therefore, clear to see.

By providing more light, you can encourage egg production from your brood. Experts say that about 14 hours is ideal for providing the hormone levels that result in good egg yields - both for quality and quantity.

LED lighting

A particularly beneficial light source will be provided by LED lamps which provide brighter light with less energy consumption, and can be gained from lighting models such as the Hentronix Coop Lighting Unit.

After storing up battery charge from the sun’s rays, the unit will provide a consistent source of gentle light for your hens, who will reward you in turn with greater production.

Using the best battery light for chicken coop illumination can have huge ongoing advantages.

Not only will you gain in the sense of egg production, you will also see your bills reduce. LED lighting uses a lot less energy, and as most of the energy will be provided by the sun, the power that you do use will be less expensive.

Timer-enabled solar lights for coops

Any human being will tell you that to have the lights on all the time would be an uncomfortable situation to be in. It affects sleeping patterns and causes overstimulation, and the same is true for your chickens.

While more light means more eggs, that’s an equation which has limited benefits. You can’t have the lights on in the coop 24 hours a day and expect enhanced egg production, indeed it would be bad for your chickens overall.

That’s where a chicken coop light with timer comes in. Options such as the Chicken Coop Light Kit from ChickenDoors provide light when you need it and can then automatically switch off after a set period of time, ensuring your hens have light enough to provide the health benefits they need, without going too far.

A solar chicken coop light with timer installed will give you the best of both worlds.

Timer settings

Different timings will be beneficial in different situations, so it is beneficial to be cautious with how you set and run a timer at least initially.

You can then add more time to the “active” period of the day, both as the days get shorter and as you get used to the patterns of egg production, and you can ensure that the overall result you get from your timer, light and brood overall is as good as it can be.

The advantages of solar-powered coop light

It’s impossible to be unaware of the importance of environmental compliance in 2023.

The more power you use, the greater a toll it takes on the planet - and someone who keeps farm animals can understand that more than just about anyone else.

So there is a definitive benefit to using power generated by the sun, which is renewable and sustainable, over anything you take from the central grid.

Better bottom line

Not everybody is completely convinced by the environmental argument, so let’s put in in terms of bottom line: when your solar powered chicken coop light with timer is installed and operational, it will save you money both now and in the future, representing a solid investment in energy.

It will literally pay for itself, and then some, by reducing the amount that you need to spend on electricity bills.

Even if there were no other benefits - and gthere are - then the financial saving would make solar light for a chicken coop a more than sensible choice.

Reliable power

It’s all the more beneficial to have solar powered coop lights if you live in areas which experience regular power outages.

If you can’t rely on the local power supply, make it even more local by having as many things as possible, your coop included, running off solar power such as the Kyson Indoor Solar Barn Light.

Finding the best coop lighting solution

Different situations call for different solutions, and it therefore makes sense that not everyone will agree on the best option.

Not everyone, after all, has the same setup. You’ll have to consider the size of the coop, so that the light gives enough brightness to reach to all corners of the house.

You’ll also need to ensure that you’re getting the right light for your location; if the coop is in an area that doesn’t get much natural light, it will need to be that much brighter to compensate for this factor.

Picking your power

When considering your options, it helps to know as much as you can about the different lights. For example, the Hentronix Coop Lighting setup is compatible with Hentronix automatic doors and its LED usage is very energy-efficient and bright for large henhouses.

Bemexred Solar Lights, for their part, are designed for outdoor usage and are remote-controlled, so can be brightened or dimmed wherever you are. Other lights are recognized for their exceptional brightness, such as the Afoskce Solar Light Bulb.

Checking for the features you need will make your eventual selection job that much easier.

If you want a motion-sensitive option that only operates when necessary, the best option may be YiaMia Solar Motion Lights; while the Kyson Indoor Solar Barn Light is prized for providing a consistent level of lighting that doesn’t burn too bright nor too dimly for any chicken coop.

Jior’s Solar Powered Shed Lights are felt by many to be the best battery light for chicken coop illumination.

Other options in the round-up are the AGPTECK Solar Powered Shed Lights, which as the name suggests are ideal for sheds while also being excellent in a coop, and AmeriTop Solar Lights, which are beneficial in larger coops.

Timer functions for coop lights

As we noted at the start, light is important for chickens to be as healthy as possible and to produce more eggs.

This is a fact, and it is also a fact that during the year, the hours of natural sunlight vary considerably. In the summer, days can be sixteen hours long or more, while winter can see you reduced to six or seven hours of natural light.

In your chicken coop, it is important that you are providing enough light to ensure that the chickens are getting consistent illumination all year round. 

This makes lights with timers all the more beneficial. A solar light with timer for the chicken coop will ensure that the light supply is steady.

You can set the timer to give the optimum duration of natural-looking light to maintain the health of your chickens and guarantee a better harvest of eggs.

Options such as the Chicken Coop Light Kit will give you what you need, with egg production varying little between January and July, and your chickens will feel the benefit too.

Solar power for your chicken coop

You can ensure a maximum of beneficial light in your chicken coop by effectively installing a solar light; it is beneficial to be aware of how this is done, and this will be different for different lights.

The key thing that applies to all solar lights for a chicken coop is that they must be installed with the solar panel in an optimal position.

The important thing to know here is that the sun spends all of its time between sunrise and sunset in the southern half of the sky, so when you install the panel, you should have it facing south.

If you have an existing light fitting in your chicken coop, the transition to solar power should be fairly simple and you may even be able to use some elements of your existing fitting.

If not, then you will need to follow the instructions included with the light and solar panel, and may benefit from hiring outside help such as a professional electrician to install everything that needs to be in place to ensure you can get up and running with your newly solar-powered coop lighting solution.

Top Picks: Battery-Powered Coop Lights with Timers

Your solar coop light will deliver power when you need it, and store power away in a battery when it’s not being used. As you will have picked up from what’s already been written, there are different lights that will work best for different coops.

Below, we’ll take a look at the three best ones that we have encountered in the course of our research.

• Hentronix Coop Lighting System: This all-rounder uses LED lighting to provide an excellent light throw in your coop. Its compatibility with Hentronix automatic doors makes it a very versatile option which will be valued by anyone keeping chickens. Plus Hentronix’s safety promise makes it an option that takes the well-being of your brood into account.
• Bemexred’s Solar Light: Bemexred is going to be a very popular choice among dedicated coop owners, as it has been designed with high functionality in mind. First of all, it’s optimized for outdoor use ensuring its durability and weather-resistance. It is also remotely controllable, which means you don’t even need to be in the same zip code as your coop to dim or brighten the lights.
• Afoskce Solar Light Bulb: This has been designed with portability and versatility in mind, so you can move it around easily to get better results if needed. It has also been created to ensure the optimum level of light for its surroundings, ensuring the best results for you and your chickens.

Summary

Your chosen coop lighting solution will, in all likelihood, depend upon a range of factors, but the one thing that is certain is that with the right choice, you will quickly begin to see results from your chickens as they get the ideal level of light at the right times of day.

Your egg yields will grow as time goes on, and you will see a level of health among your brood that really reflects the investment you have made.

Whether it’s the all-round quality of the Hentronix Coop Lighting system, the expertise of Bemexred, or the exceptional versatility of the Afoskce Solar Light Bulb, you can be sure that you’re doing the best by your chickens, Making use of the best solar light for chicken coops will make life easier for you, better for your feathered friends, and positively boost your bottom line.

That’s something well worth thinking about.