Simple SummaryAustralian sunlight is intense, and may impact range use by free-range hens. Range design and management are important for optimising commercial layer farms where artificial shelters may offer protection for ranging hens. This study investigated preferences among 34–40-week-old hens for artificial shade cloth shelters of different densities, using two flocks on a commercial farm during the summer. Three types of sunlight-filtering shade cloth shelters, i.e., blocking 50%, 70%, and 90% of ultraviolet (UV) light, each with three replicates, were placed on the range for each flock. The number of hens under each shelter was counted at 30-min intervals using image snapshots from video recordings for 14 to 17 days. An on-site weather station recorded sunlight intensity across different spectra, ambient temperature, and relative humidity. During the day, hens generally preferred the 90%, followed by 70% and 50% sunlight-filtering shelters. However, fewer hens were observed underneath shelters during times of peak sun intensity. Shelter preferences were mostly impacted by ambient temperature in both flocks, with all sunlight spectra having different degrees of effect depending on the shelter type and flock. Overall, shelters comprising higher densities of sunlight-filtering artificial cloth were preferred by hens on the range, but these may not be sufficient to attract more hens outside during intense sunlight and hot climatic conditions.Extreme sunlight might be aversive to free-range laying hens, discouraging them from going outside. Range enrichment with artificial shelters may protect hens from sunlight and increase range use. The preferences of 34–40-week-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens for artificial shelters were assessed by counting the number of hens under three densities of individual shelters (three replicates/density) from video recordings for 14 to 17 days for two flocks. The artificial shelters used shade cloth marketed as blocking 50%, 70%, and 90% of ultraviolet light, although other sunlight wavelengths were also reduced. Different sunlight spectral irradiances (ultraviolet radiation (UVAB) (288–432 nm), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) (400–700 nm), and total solar radiation (TSR) (285 nm–3000 nm), ambient temperature, and relative humidity were recorded with an on-site weather station. There was a significant interaction between sunlight-filtering shelter and time of day (both Flocks, p < 0.0001), i.e., hens preferred shelters with the highest amount of sunlight-filtering at most time points. Regression models showed that the most variance in shelter use throughout the day resulted from the ambient temperature in both flocks, while sunlight parameters had different degrees of effect depending on the shelter type and flock. However, fewer hens under the shelters during the midday period suggest that during periods of intense sunlight, hens prefer to remain indoors, and artificial structures might not be sufficient to attract more hens outside.