Chicken Vet on supplemental light to increase winter egg production

[Acre4Me]

We have light in the coop. One lightbulb, and a string of lights. Connected to a timer. We have them get the extra light in the morning, before sunrise in the shorter day length months. We do not have it on in the evening, so they go to roost naturally.

It does help get some more eggs or an earlier start in the late winter after their break. We have mainly heritage breeds, so not heavy layers. Even the pullets will slow down considerably or stop for a while in deep winter, even with the light. I assume just the way they are. This year we have some high production layers, and they are keeping up with their laying through this winter, unlike the rest of the flock, which lays some eggs, but much reduced. Now that natural light is increasing, we are seeing more eggs being laid. So, I agree that the increase in light is a strong influence, not just having light.

@LynnTXchickenmom -for hot months, give them cool water, ice blocks that melt, shade. We grow leafy plants on the hot south side of the run. The best success and cooling has been with birdhouse gourds. Big leaves, grow fast, grow a lot/ very long vines, which need support. But temps behind this green wall are significantly cooler. If the birds eat any, they are harmless, and edible by humans when the gourds are young. We’ve tried other plants, but birdhouse gourds cover and cool the best. They are very cold sensitive though, will not survive a frost, elven a light frost.

My other tactic in hot months is to wait for the run to be mostly shaded (around 2 pm) and bring them wet feed (batter consistency) with ice cubes, and put it in the shade. They will eat and drink at the same time. When it’s really hot, they don’t seem to drink enough bc they are hanging out in cool spots and not moving. When they don’t drink enough, they don’t lay, so this gets them to drink more water, while still getting proper nutrition.

 

[Ridgeback825]

That, and "no evidence" lighting decreases longevity (given diet and such) isn't the same thing as evidence that it doesn't.

A theory without supporting evidence is called a hypothesis. We live in Florida and our girls don't get a break. We have more sunny days but sill have a winter light cycle where its light at 7am, but dark by 6, yet we don't have a problem like 2 months with no eggs. Our girls are happy and healthy and the chickens are laying 4-5 eggs a week. Our pekin duck has layed 15 of the last 16 days. I think there's more that goes into it than light, but glad to see these wives tales put to rest.

 

[Sally PB]

We can't prove gravity but there is a LOT of evidence for it.

Sorry, this just made me laugh out loud.

 

[Ridgeback825]

I found this post with a message from a chicken-focused veterinarian very helpful. In it, he explains exactly how light stimulates egg production (not through eyesight, but rather a gland on the forehead)) and debunks two theories I have seen here and elsewhere: 1) Giving chickens supplemental light in the winter does not decrease lifespan, and 2) it doesn’t make them run out of eggs faster—chickens have many times more ova than years in a natural lifespan to lay them all.

https://the-chicken-chick.com/supplemental-light-in-coop-why-how/

We have 18 pullets who started coming into lay around Christmas. Two weeks ago, we were getting 14-17 eggs per day. When the pullets were laying well, we were having a bright, sunny, warm spell with highs in the 70s. Then we had cloud cover and rain, and this week cloud cover and an ice storm—a Texas blue norther. Once the days became darker, egg production fell to 6-7 eggs/day. As we started this project to save the $5/doz grocery store price for reg cage eggs and to sell fresh, free range eggs to a friend who prefers them, we need to recoup our initial start up costs and at least break even this year. So given the advice of this vet, we will add supplemental light 20 min before dawn each morning and keep increasing it steadily until the light + day length = 14 hours. When the season provides 14 hours for us naturally, we will turn it off. I am expecting fewer eggs when we suffer extreme heat this summer (over 100 deg, which can be several weeks) and have plans for adding a shade sail on the south side of our coop (the rest of the coop and run is shaded by trees) and possibly a mister. Our flock is all Rhode Island Reds and we need them to produce an avg of 300 eggs per year per chicken, as this breed is capable of doing.

For the light, we are running an outdoor extension cord to the coop from a garage receptacle. The timer will be in the garage—a $10 mechanical one. We will hang the end of the cord from a hook in our coop rafter and plug a $3 plug-in light socket into it with a light bulb, out of the birds’ way. Least expensive option that I could find for a coop light.

450 dozen @ $5 each is $2250. I am almost that deep into our flock of 5.
I've accepted the fact that we won't break even but we will always have eggs and fried chicken! That is priceless.

 

[SpringsChick]

We have light in the coop. One lightbulb, and a string of lights. Connected to a timer. We have them get the extra light in the morning, before sunrise in the shorter day length months. We do not have it on in the evening, so they go to roost naturally.

It does help get some more eggs or an earlier start in the late winter after their break. We have mainly heritage breeds, so not heavy layers. Even the pullets will slow down considerably or stop for a while in deep winter, even with the light. I assume just the way they are. This year we have some high production layers, and they are keeping up with their laying through this winter, unlike the rest of the flock, which lays some eggs, but much reduced. Now that natural light is increasing, we are seeing more eggs being laid. So, I agree that the increase in light is a strong influence, not just having light.

@LynnTXchickenmom -for hot months, give them cool water, ice blocks that melt, shade. We grow leafy plants on the hot south side of the run. The best success and cooling has been with birdhouse gourds. Big leaves, grow fast, grow a lot/ very long vines, which need support. But temps behind this green wall are significantly cooler. If the birds eat any, they are harmless, and edible by humans when the gourds are young. We’ve tried other plants, but birdhouse gourds cover and cool the best. They are very cold sensitive though, will not survive a frost, elven a light frost.

My other tactic in hot months is to wait for the run to be mostly shaded (around 2 pm) and bring them wet feed (batter consistency) with ice cubes, and put it in the shade. They will eat and drink at the same time. When it’s really hot, they don’t seem to drink enough bc they are hanging out in cool spots and not moving. When they don’t drink enough, they don’t lay, so this gets them to drink more water, while still getting proper nutrition.

This was a great thread to read. I am in NW Colorado mountains and have had chickens unlit for 10 years, rarely get eggs in winter until spring even with the new layers each year, they sometimes won't start till mid-March (maybe 10 mos old). I just added light, in the am with a LED rope light. They were past their seasonal molt. I luckily have a safe electrical system as it's necessary to keep the water from freezing solid (we see -40 sometimes). I'm now getting 14+ eggs from a mixed breed flock of 21 with some of the to age 6. The light is working!! I plan to shut it down when our daylight hours hit 14 and then back again after next year's molt. Also, I have a new Woods Stlye open air coop and I think it was key for keeping them as least stressed from the cold weather as possible.

I found this post with a message from a chicken-focused veterinarian very helpful. In it, he explains exactly how light stimulates egg production (not through eyesight, but rather a gland on the forehead)) and debunks two theories I have seen here and elsewhere: 1) Giving chickens supplemental light in the winter does not decrease lifespan, and 2) it doesn’t make them run out of eggs faster—chickens have many times more ova than years in a natural lifespan to lay them all.

https://the-chicken-chick.com/supplemental-light-in-coop-why-how/

We have 18 pullets who started coming into lay around Christmas. Two weeks ago, we were getting 14-17 eggs per day. When the pullets were laying well, we were having a bright, sunny, warm spell with highs in the 70s. Then we had cloud cover and rain, and this week cloud cover and an ice storm—a Texas blue norther. Once the days became darker, egg production fell to 6-7 eggs/day. As we started this project to save the $5/doz grocery store price for reg cage eggs and to sell fresh, free range eggs to a friend who prefers them, we need to recoup our initial start up costs and at least break even this year. So given the advice of this vet, we will add supplemental light 20 min before dawn each morning and keep increasing it steadily until the light + day length = 14 hours. When the season provides 14 hours for us naturally, we will turn it off. I am expecting fewer eggs when we suffer extreme heat this summer (over 100 deg, which can be several weeks) and have plans for adding a shade sail on the south side of our coop (the rest of the coop and run is shaded by trees) and possibly a mister. Our flock is all Rhode Island Reds and we need them to produce an avg of 300 eggs per year per chicken, as this breed is capable of doing.

For the light, we are running an outdoor extension cord to the coop from a garage receptacle. The timer will be in the garage—a $10 mechanical one. We will hang the end of the cord from a hook in our coop rafter and plug a $3 plug-in light socket into it with a light bulb, out of the birds’ way. Least expensive option that I could find for a coop light.

This was a great thread to read. I am in NW Colorado mountains and have had chickens unlit for 10 years, rarely get eggs in winter until spring even with the new layers each year, they sometimes won't start till mid-March (maybe 10 mos old). I just added light, in the am with a LED rope light. They were past their seasonal molt. I luckily have a safe electrical system as it's necessary to keep the water from freezing solid (we see -40 sometimes). I'm now getting 14+ eggs from a mixed breed flock of 21 with some of the to age 6. The light is working!! I plan to shut it down when our daylight hours hit 14 and then back again after next year's molt. Also, I have a new Woods Style open air coop and I think it was key for keeping them as least stressed from the cold weather as possible.