chickens in the shade?? Or do they need lots of sun?

[sylar]

Decided to locate the girls at the bottom of the garden which is currently a mixture of sun and shade but I've just realised that when the trees are in full leaf it will be mainly shade. Is this going to be a problem? They're ex battery hens so I'm thinking its still going to be luxury compared to what they're used to.

Its definitely the preferred location since otherwise they'll be slap bang in the midle of the lawn.

Any views?

Hi, We have 6 hens and 1 cock, they have a enclosed area, both in the shade and in sun, however they are underneath the apple and damson trees. they seem quite happy and do a fantasic job with the eggs... I am not a authority on chickens, but ours are quite happy in sun and shade, they scrat, and then bask in the holes they have dug, with their wings spread out, really quite funny to look at. Hope this helps, but am sure the hens will let u know if they arnt that happy, just lots of scraps and water, ours love strawberry tops... getting 6 eggs every day now, and unfortunately struggling to cope with the eggs, have been cooking loads and giving them away.. but you cant beat a home grown boiled eg.!!!! Louise www.gaskellmotorbodies.com

Chickens like to sit in the sun, but also require a cooler shady area otherwise they can overheat. We put a small gazebo up for ours when it's the summertime as it's a south facing garden and gets very hot.

Your chickens will be fine in the shade.

God no, they love shade and it's drier there so better for dustbathing and dryness reduces pest and diseases.

I look after chickens for my landlord. He built their run in a place that is in full afternoon sun. I dont like to see them stood there in the blazing sun so I have started to let them out into a new run I built that is under trees but they can also go back and stand in the full sun if they want. They seemed to like being under trees when it was hot this afternoon.

I think I am right in saying that originally chickens in the wild were forest birds so I suppose mixed dapled shade is what they naturally would encounter in the wild.

All animals should really have access to shade and natural sun. Just like humans.

Mine love the shade...they have their dust baths there, hang about generally, hide

you know, when you go out to check on them and they are all stood sort of behind a very narrow tree, looking very much as though you cannot see them at all. Clever chickens.