anyone alredy affected by less daylight?

[ams3651]

Just as I started getting 5 eggs a day Im down to 2 or 3 a day since last week. They can get out first thing as they dont have a door yet but they dont have a window inside. I am going to get a red heat bulb, my old one broke, will that help at all? I dont know if I want to add light as I read that its better to let them follow the natural cycle.

 

[ChickenToes]

It is better to let them follow their natural cycle. I wasn't going to add a light in the coop either, but the number of eggs I was getting per day dropped so drastically that I put a light in the coop anyway.

I don't think you need a red heat bulb, a regular bulb will work. They don't need tons of light, just enough to light the coop, so a 60 watt bulb would work just fine.

It's better that they receive the artificial light in the morning. Put your light on an automatic timer. Mine turns on at 4 am and turns off at 7 am.

 

[BayCityBabe]

I am affected by less light! What a scramble to try to get the birds put up while cooking dinner.
I have seen photos of coops that have Christmas lights in them. When I no longer need a brooder light in my coop, I am gonna switch. It has to be wayyyy cheaper to run a 6' strand of lights than a 250 watt bulb.

 

[flakey chick]

I am already affected by less light and I live in Florida. I miss my girls!

They are barely stirring when I go to work in the morning. Often they have put themselves to bed when I get home. I think they miss me too. The other day they were happy to run around when I came home and let them out, but soon they put themselves right back to roost.

I want to light the coop just so I can spend more time with them. I don't want to be a weekend chicken momma. I think their lives will be better if they get to spend more time with me.

 

[debilorrah]

We have the lights and it still isn't helping - wea re getting 2-3 eggs a day and we were getting 5. Some days it's only 1.

 

[warren]

It is just getting light here at 7.30 and dark at 4.30 but I am still getting an egg a day off each of our two pullets with no extra light. Sorry to brag...

 

[blueskylen]

we have a light on a timer that comes on at 5pm and goes off at 8pm. have not seen any difference in the egg quantity, but my girls are under 1 year old.

 

[mom'sfolly]

Yep, my egg production has dropped, dramatically. And the silkie is broody again. She is one persistent bugger! I don't do extra light, so I just added extra chickens to make sure I don't have to buy eggs in the winter. Any excuse for more birdies.

 

[freshegg]

yup only got 2 eggs today and 1 the last 2 days before. I was getting 5-7 Im adding a light so how long before they lay normal again?

 

[jbowyer01]

I dont know about my chickens but I've been effected by the change. I hate it. When I get home they've put themselves to sleep and when I peek in to lock them up they lift their heads as to say what do you think your doing, we're sleeping here! UHHHG! I'm ready for spring!