The Official Forum of the Ameraucana Breeders Club > Housing, Health & Hatching
Artificial light and male fertility
John:
--- Quote ---I'm just curious, John. Have you ever experimented with less light to see what would happen? I just now checked around the Internet and see that most do say 14-16 hours, but is that for "maximum" egg production? And is there any harmful results as to having them on long hours for long periods of time? I'm sure commercial people aren't too concerned with adverse side effects and are probably swapping their layers out all the time. You guys have been doing this for much longer than I have so I respect your experience and advice tremendously.
I guess my real question is, if I have my birds on 13 hours of light now and am getting 6-9 eggs from 11 hens/pullets every day, would more light give them an even higher egg production, or is it that the addition light has switched their egg making switch "on" so the 1-3 hour variance doesn't really matter. I don't know why my mind wonders about such things. It just does
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I think I started out with 12 hours of light years ago when I first started using artificial light to stimulate egg production. I still start each year with 12 hours/day and keep increasing it until I'm at 16 hours/per day.
I do disagree with the comment about commercial people and adverse side effects. When egg production is someones livelihood and not just a hobby I have to assume they want what is "optimal". Wild birds like turkeys lay in the spring when there is about 12 to 15 hours of daylight, so your 13 hours should be just fine in my opinion.
A hen has a limited number of eggs that she will lay in her lifetime. Some breeds lay more per day, on average, than others. Since light stimulates egg production we are just using it to our advantage to get the most eggs per hen during hatching time so we can hatch the most chicks.
Sharon Yorks:
When I commented about commercial people, I was referring to the people who furnish eggs for the grocery stores for everyone to eat. I was not referring to anyone who breeds, sells, and raises chickens. I, myself, am doing somewhat the same as what you are referring to...trying to get as many eggs up front. I am then selecting the best of all of my hatches, then selling almost everything else. It allows me to get more eggs, yet I'm still selling young hens that the next person can enjoy many more eggs from. I'm just trying to do it as close to natural as possible so as to not stress them. I didn't mean any disrespect, if that's the way it came across. I was just talking about big egg farms selling to grocery stores, and even then, just assuming their main concern was strictly in production. Good lesson in not being so eager to through my thoughts and opinions about others out there. :-X
John:
Sharon,
I didn't think you meant many disrespect and I don't either, I just think that commercial egg operations would be very concerned about adverse side effects. When I look at how little the price of eggs has gone up over the decades I know they have to run extremely cost effective operations. :)
Schroeder:
--- Quote from: Sharon Yorks on January 01, 2013, 11:39:31 AM ---
--- Quote from: Schroeder on January 01, 2013, 09:43:44 AM ---0 for 18. Live and learn! :'(
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Sorry to hear that. Did you put the rooster back in with the hens? Are you going to try again soon?
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I put the 8 mo cockerel in with the 3 hens and observed for about 30 minutes. Some displays of authority by him but no action. I'll keep them together now. Problem is, after a week or more I'm afraid he'll not be accepted back into the bachelor pad with 1 larger Black A and 3 much larger Orpingtons.
Birdcrazy:
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Problem is, after a week or more I'm afraid he'll not be accepted back into the bachelor pad with 1 larger Black A and 3 much larger Orpington.
I'll bet you are right on target!
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