Artificial lighting and hen longevity

[Acre4Me]

Artificial lighting can cause pullets to start maturing faster which would cause them to be ready to lay eggs at a younger age.

Please talk to my free loading dark brown Leghorns. They are almost 42 weeks old. Two of the three are still not laying, despite artificial light and all! The other leghorn that is laying started only about 3 weeks ago. At this point I’m just curious as to how old they are going to be when they lay! Overall, I figured they would be on the earlier side of the six breeds, but even the slow-maturing Jersey Giant has them beat by a long shot! Nothing wrong with them, they eat, they drink, they free-load. At least two were low in the pecking order, but now the seven 13 week olds have been the lowest for several weeks, so don’t think it’s stress either. Again, I’m just curious as to how old these free-loaders are going to be when they lay eggs! Lol!

 

[aart]

Artificial lighting can cause pullets to start maturing faster which would cause them to be ready to lay eggs at a younger age.

Mmmm...I don't think so.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Mmmm...I don't think so.

He may be thinking about how pullets raised to sexually mature in spring under increasing daylight will mature much quicker than pullets raised in fall under decreasing daylight. I don't know if lights affects that, though plenty of people must believe so, as I constantly read of lights for pullets to get them laying.

 

[aart]

as I constantly read of lights for pullets to get them laying.

To keep them laying all winter, yes,
But not to get them to lay younger than their age and biological maturity will allow.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

To keep them laying all winter, yes,
But not to get them to lay younger than their age and biological maturity will allow.

I have read posts of people saying they added lights to try to get their pullets to start, so people believe it works.

 

[Birdinhand]

I wondered about these questions too. somewhere down the line I saw a reference on here to a book called the behavior biology of chickens (BBC), so I bought it. I read the thing cover to cover, it's fascinating and science based but not too technical.

Lighting is a big part of the book. My take away is that laying hens don't actually benefit much from taking a break from laying in the winter if they are given a proper layer diet. I found with my chickens that the lack of light lead to something akin to depression. before I started adding artificial light, they would go to roost in the dark months at about 3:30 and not come off the roost till 10 AM :~(). Such a level of inactivity was actually leading them to eat so much less that they began to become visibly thin.

In the BBC, they reference studies that showed that because of the way the chickens rest part their brain and trade off, a bit like whales, that they do not benefit from more than 4 hours of sleep a night. To me it's all about finding a good balance. I add a 60W equivalent light to their roosting area that also shines to the floor where their food and water is to extend the day both in the morning and the evening, assuring that they get 12-14 hours of light a day. They are very happy, very healthy and keep on laying right through the winter. They do stop when molting.

Chickens are amazing, they have light receptors in their pineal gland, not all that different from optic tissue, it tracks the light coming through the skull and governs the release of egg laying hormones. Each breed has it's own laying threshold so you need to adjust accordingly. As for whether they will stop laying sooner if you don't give them a break, it is true that they are born with a set number of ovum, but it's not clear that any actually use up all their ovum before menopause, which is governed by a variety of factors.

 

[aart]

I have read posts of people saying they added lights to try to get their pullets to start, so people believe it works.

Yeah, well.

 

[aart]

it is true that they are born with a set number of ovum, but it's not clear that any actually use up all their ovum before menopause, which is governed by a variety of factors.

Which is waayyyyy more than they'll ever lay.


Constant nonstop year round laying without a break to molt and recondition will take toll on their overall health....but using lights in winter does not mean they don't get that break.

 

[Birdinhand]

Which is waayyyyy more than they'll ever lay.


Constant nonstop year round laying without a break to molt and recondition will take toll on their overall health....but using lights in winter does not mean they don't get that break.

yes, I'm speaking about added light in the winter, particularly up in the northwest here. I have never and will never try and prevent my birds from molting, and they do not lay eggs at that time.

 

[aart]

yes, I'm speaking about added light in the winter, particularly up in the northwest here. I have never and will never try and prevent my birds from molting, and they do not lay eggs at that time.

I don't really bump my lights up until about now, want all the older ones to molt.
Have read of some folks who keep lights up all year round, and their birds still molt.