In an ideal situation, your chickens should have natural shade they can cool off in. … If you don’t have shade from trees or plantings in your coop run, you’ll need to provide it with tarps or a roof over the top and side of part of the run.

Do chicken coops need sun or shade?

The reason most chicken coops should be built in the shade, if possible, is because chickens tend to really struggle with the heat. A cool coop in the summer is, in most cases, more important than a warm coop in the winter.

Is it OK for chickens to be in the dark?

When using a light to keep your chickens laying eggs, you really shouldn’t expose the chickens to more than 12 hours of light per day (including daylight). These small landscape lights give off just enough light to make them feel safe to go into the dark coop, yet not bright enough to disrupt their sleep.