Hello all, last winter our chickens reduced the amount of eggs they laid during the winter months. Their coop does not have a window in it and I assumed the reduction in eggs was due to fewer hours of day light. I have heard that adding a light in the coop will help with warmth and hours of light and this should help keep my egg production up. Can anyone educate me more on this based on their experience? Thanks in advance.
Older layers need 14-16 hours of light to lay regularly thru winter. Last winter I used a 40 watt incandescent light(this year I am using a CFL) that comes on early in the morning to provide 14-15 hours of light and they go to roost with the natural sunset. Last year I started the lighting increase a bit late(mid October), the light should be increased slowly, and the pullets didn't start laying until late December. Here's pretty good article on supplemental lighting. Some folks think that using lighting shortens the years a hen will lay, I don't agree with that theory but I also plan to cull my older hens for soup at about 3 years old.
It will increase your production. Adding even a window will help also. I do not bother with added light. Mainly because I have 11 hens and they can still supply the table with eggs without light through the winter months and that is all I ask of them. Each to his own though. If you do add light make sure it is secure with even a safety chain in may save you heart ache from fire.