Artificial Light or not????!!!

[Guest]

I read an article about how you shouldn\'t use artificial  light during these short days, but instead let his chickens cycle naturally.  My husband said everything he\'s read (mostly \"Raising Chicken\" or some such title) says you should put the light on them.  What do you all do?  Are we hurting our chickens by not giving them a down cycle or by putting them on artificial light?

[John]

The \"search\" button on this forum can be very helpful with some topics.  Here is a link to some earlier discussion on the subject:
http://ameraucana.org/abcforum/index.php?a=topic&t=455

[Guest]

uummm,  thanks for this.  I did look at these links but I\'m not sure my question really was answered.  These seem to talk primarily about how/when to decrease light.  I was looking more for the pros of leaving them in 6the dark.  I guess take home point is it doesn\'t seem to matter.

Thanks
Amy

[John]

It just depends on what you are after.  
If you want eggs then keep the lights on for 14 to 16 hours/day.  This will give you more eggs to market.  That is what the commercial egg laying operations do.
If you are getting enough eggs for your use and just want backyard chickens then go natural without artificial lights.
I use artificial lights for a few months each year to produce the greatest number of eggs possible to incubate.
Keep in mind that a hen will only lay so many eggs during her lifetime, so the birds in the commercial operations will be \"burned\" out after two or three years.

[bantamhill]

Amy,

I have gone years with not using lights and years of using lights. It really depends if you are trying to get some early eggs to raise a few chicks in January/February for the early fall show season or sales of eggs, chicks, adults to buyers or are you sustaining and breeding, but not worried about shows or sales.

If I was going for egg production for my own use and my own flock improvement I would not light the hens. For winter egg production I would have a few hens from breeds known for winter production. I have had good luck some of the sex-links and I know a few folks here have Chantecler which are bred to be a winter laying utility breed.

I am currently lighting some of my birds in the hopes to get a few eggs for early hatches for showing, but I will be honest and say that the majority of my hatches are in April when the weather is better for raising large numbers of chicks. I will also be honest and say that since I have had some that are on lights and some that are not in the past I have seen very little difference in when the hens started to lay.

I think that consistency in temperature plays a part in egg laying. Missouri is notorious for inconsistent winter temperatures and I think that is why my hens are a little later in laying regardless if I light or not. I am becoming convinced that if I had a main building with realatively consistent temperature that my Ameraucana would lay better in the winter, but we swing all over the place (this weekend it is predicted to go from sixty degrees to the twenties) and I think that is hard on the girls. My hens are maiking egg laying sounds, but are laying very few eggs. Several members in the northern states always have eggs and chicks before me and I am convinced it is having a building with a consistent temperature that helps kick in the laying based on the day length . . . I think the swings in temperature I experience make the hens hold off until the temperature is consitent.

I hope my ramblings help.

Michael

[Guest]

I have also found that if I keep a consistant temperature in my building I do not have as many problems with molt in my older birds and they tend to lay all winter.  The only ones who seem to be seasonal no matter what are the silkies.  I am lucky enough to have a building with a furnace in it and we can keep it at 55 degrees continually and I have noticed a huge difference in rate of lay since we have them in it.  They also seem to be healthier and have more vigor.  

[bantamhill]

I agree that temperature seems to play an important part in early lay. The combination of temperatures that mimic early spring temperatures and daylength are necessary for optimum laying.

Michael