Winter egg production

[Guest]

You should not be seeing much of a drop in production in Utah. One of the blessing of the west is light.  They will react to by climate conditions, such as drinking less because water is cold or using too much energy because their pen is drafty, or if over heated, but it is a form of stress.
Here in northern Arkansas, I\'m at peak egg production now with no additional lighting. August is my slow month, THE HEAT, and it drops to about 1/2 to 1/3. All in all, it is less than normal for no more than 2 mo.s  But of course I breed for the egg ...

[Guest]

I have not noticed a drop in egg production at all so far here in Kansas. No artificial lighting, just the usual. We had a snowstorm here last week, and that day, I got 27 eggs out of 27 hens (both chickens & ducks) , 21 today, at 40 degrees.  I wonder if diet has more to do with it than lighting? I keep expecting them to drop off, but every day they continue to lay...??

[Guest]

Wow thank you all for the personal perspective information.  I was getting a little concerned because I bought my birds as new chicks in May...and here it is December and they haven\'t really started to lay.  My one girl has been laying for about 2 weeks now, and one other just started about 3 days ago.  I guess mine are just slow!  Maybe the low amounts of light was bothering them too, don\'t know.  I sure appreciate all the info from everyone though!

Take care,

Liz

[Guest]

The one thing we like best with the Ameraucanas is the winter eggs!!
we have a light in the shed 24/7, 365
our spring hatches are usualy just beginning to lay november/december, and most will continue throughout the winter. the older hens usualy molt and come back into production about now.  we don\';t seperate into breeding pens until jan/feb, but the extra eggs come just in time for holiday baking!

[Guest]

I\'m so excited, I got an actual BLUE egg instead of the greeny ones!  I have no idea who laid it but I know it was one of the Ameraucanas...the ones that are supposed to be Orpingtons lay the greeny ones...lol...

Thanks to everyone for writing!  I\'ll post pix later when I get my cam back from the shop.

Liz

[Guest]

I have a flock of 6 hens and haven\'t had an egg now for over a couple of months! They are just completing their molt, and hopefully will give us an egg soon.  I\'m tired of buying eggs!  but even during summer, they started slowing down.  we\'d maybe only get 1-2 eggs a day.  they are about two years old now.  Does that mean they are too old to lay any more?

[philipu]

I find that light is the factor for my birds egg production.
I have a light, and red brooding lamps for heat in the coop,
and they continue to lay in their normal cycles.
Also if their routine is not messed with, just my experience.
phil

[John]

they are about two years old now. Does that mean they are too old to lay any more?

Generally speaking they are not to old.  A female chicken will only lay so many eggs in her lifetime.  She can\'t lay more than what she started with and once they are laid that\'s it.  The eggs she starts with develop and most will get laid during her lifetime, but she doesn\'t produce any new eggs.  Under normal conditions (no added artificial lighting) she may lay for several years, but if she is subjected to longer days by artificial lighting she will lay her quota of eggs in just a few years.
Knowing that my hens can only produce a limited number of eggs I only use added artificial lighting when I want the most eggs and that is in February and March.  I start adding hours to their days as soon as I move them into their breeding pens about a month before I start collecting eggs to hatch.  I increase the lighting to give them 14 to 16 hour days o get the most eggs in that two or so month period.

[John]

14 hours per day

A month or so ago I read that commercial Leghorns lay best with 16.5 hours of light per day, so this year I have increased my light system to 16 hours.  The lights come on at 4am and off at 8pm.  It seems to be working great.

[Guest]

we keep a light in the shed 24/7, not a bright lite, but enough so that at night preditors don;t have an advntage on sleeping fowl, they will wake up and move away from then
I too was worried about \"burn-out\" with the hens..but we have 2 that are 7 years old and and still shelling out the eggs

When we were on the poultry farm our lights cam on at 4am and off at 9pm, but that was about 25 years ago now, maybe they have changed their recomendations?

[Blue Egg Acres]

The lights come on at 4am and off at 8pm.

I\'m wondering why you leave the lights on during the day? Mine come on at 4am and go off at 8 am. I figure the daylight take over then. Maybe some of your birds don\'t go outside?

[John]

some of your birds don\'t go outside

Right, some don\'t get outside.  Even those that do go in and out stay in on nasty days and come in at dusk and roost.  This way they are absorbing light rays for the full 16 hours whether they are in or out and that it what promotes the egg production.  

[Guest]

Ok, more newbie questions....

What type of light is best?  Halogen?  Flourecent?  Incandecent?  Is it better to have the light come on in the am before dawn or in the evening before dusk?  

[Guest]

Oh, also, if you provide winter light, do you have to force a molt?  If so, when is the best time to do this?  I\'m located in south Texas, and my birds are in an easterly facing side of the bard (open).  I used no light this past winter, and I noticed they ceased laying right about the time daylight savings was (October?) and they commenced after Valentine\'s Day.  They all looked a little unkempt for several weeks in the mid winter... how long does a molt typically last?  Does forcing a molt make everyone go at the same time?  

[bantamhill]

I have never forced a molt myself, but I have read about. I tend to let the chickens around here molt when it is natural for them. I think 6 weeks is about normal.

As far as lights go I have used both incandecent and flourecent . . . Since one is really only supplementing light I would think the light type is less important the time the light is on. As John state elsewhere - 16.5 is optimum if you are going to use lights. Others might have experiences to share in regards to using lights.

Michael