Egg Laying during cold weather

[pinkchick]

I'm getting an average of 7-8 eggs a day out of my 17 hens since the winter weather has set in. Before the weather turned I was only getting about 4 and sometimes only 1-2 a day out of that many birds.

 

[cajunlizz]

3:30 PM ( CST ) 20 eggs

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[conroy]

I have 1 BR ans 1 Aussie laying daily.. the others are freeloaders...

 

[Portia]

I have 12 hens and collected from 9-12 per day in the summer. So far this winter my totals range from 6-12 with numbers usually ranging toward the double digits. They have changed from using the outside nesting boxes to consistently using the nesting boxes inside the coop 100% of the time.

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
Wow , I never heard of outside nesting boxes . Please explain .

 

[All about the EGG]

We have five sex links and get five eggs a day. I have a nite lite go on at 0550 and off at 0800. 4x4 coop.

 

[Duppydo]

Folks in this post have mentioned lighting, coop temps, green veggies in there diet, breed and age...I think they all factor in. My best day was 22 eggs with 25 hens, 9 NH Reds,7 months old and 16 white leghorns,6 months old.Luckly, through dumpster diving, i'v been able to feed my girls a rather large amount of discarded lettuce, kale, collard greens, parsley,etc. They get all the egg laying mash and pellets they want, i provide calcium chips, they get thier grit free ranging.They get out and free range often, in a fenced 1/4 acre area, with a limited amount of over head protection, i usaually let them free range a few hrs a day, except in really ugly weather or i'm not around to keep an eye on them..They are most certainly vulnerable to predators at this time...I provide no heat or artifical light in my 16 x4 ft coop with sky light only lighting, from 2 recylced sliding glass doors in a shed roof design..
I do use a galvinized water source, on a heater, for those cold days that would freeze there water source, i live in NY, it gets cold sometimes...I'm new to keeping hens,starting this past May, but happy with results so far, i think it helps allot to have a knowledgeble mentor...which i do, and it really helps reading and asking questions here on backyardchicken...Kevin

 

[Portia]

Liz - my hens free range and when they first started laying the rooster decided on a couple of sheltered places up on the deck beneath the deck chairs leaned against the house. He brought the hens up and would show them the place(s) he'd chosen, even go in with them and coo and carry on. So, I put a couple of bins up there with straw in them and during the summer at least half of the hens lay up there. Cold weather, however, brought them back into the coop. In fact for the last couple days I've collected 12/12...from the coop boxex, that is

 

[Beekissed]

I have 22 birds who just turned 5 mo. old and have started laying, which surprised me at this time of year and these temps. So my egg production is actually going up on a daily basis, as the pullets all start doing their thing. I don't think this is typical, though. My birds free range all the time and have a single light pointed at the waterer during cold weather....not for the light source, just the heat to keep the water thawed.

I don't know if my older hens are laying right now or not, but I've seen a few familiar eggs in the batch.

 

[mommafarr]

I raised chickens for years in Colorado, and found that they would lay less in the winter, but I added cayene or red pepper powder to their feed and they would continue to lay most of the winter. Somehow it helps, just a few tablespoons per gallon of feed. I'm in Arizona now, and my pullets are just starting to lay, so I haven't used it yet, but I plan to in late winter when it actually gets cold around here.