Burning both ends of the candle?

[pattgal]

I kept a good amount of light in the coop all winter to make sure they still lay pretty good?
is this gonna shorten their lives?
Ive had them for almost a year and I still haven't seen anything that looks like a molt

 

[krcote]

I too light my coop through the winter months. There is great disagreement on this forum about what it means in the long run for chickens. I have not had a negative results as far as shortening lives.

 

[CMV]

Hens are born with a certain number of eggs. The eggs are there from the time they are hatched, so (barring any internal laying) they will lay that number of eggs throughout their lifetime. By adding supplemental lighting you are shortening their productive life, but not their life overall. A hen will still lay the same number of eggs over the course of her life, but she will do it in a shorter time span.

 

[pattgal]

So in general, when ppl say a hen is most productive the first 2 years of her life....is that taking into account that the bird will ay all winter I wonder?
I figure most ppl are in it for the eggs...therefore most ppl would try to get eggs all winter...

 

[backyardmenagerie]

Quote:
"At hatch, pullet chicks have tens of thousands of potential eggs (i.e., ova) which theoretically could be laid. Most of these, however, never develop to the point of ovulation."-University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture.

I know I've read this several times, from different sources. I couldn't find any information on why egg production slows with age, but would assume it's just like everything else that ages.
I don't know if light will reduce later production, but would be interested to know. Wonder if there are any research studies on it...

 

[pattgal]

Quote:
"At hatch, pullet chicks have tens of thousands of potential eggs (i.e., ova) which theoretically could be laid. Most of these, however, never develop to the point of ovulation."-University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture.

I know I've read this several times, from different sources. I couldn't find any information on why egg production slows with age, but would assume it's just like everything else that ages.
I don't know if light will reduce later production, but would be interested to know. Wonder if there are any research studies on it...

I was reading a book on how to choose the sex of your baby by doctor Shettles. (I know it's random, and I can't tell you if it worked haha) we are all wired (both man and woman) the same way. we have a predetermined amount of ova's and soldiers to begin and then we use them up, and similarly most of them don't even get close to getting used.
So that part dosen't surprise me at all It is all pretty amazing
I just wanted to know what ppl think about it. I haven't seen a molt in mine yet (almost a year old to the day)
am I being too hard on them?

 

[backyardmenagerie]

I found another paper written by the U of Kentucky and it says:

"Production will eventually reach a level where the hens are consuming more money in feed then they are producing in eggs. The flock can then either be terminated or put through a molt to start a second laying cycle. Each year hens will lay fewer and fewer eggs. While some hens have continued laying for 10 years, this is not very common. Most are only productive for 2-3 years. So one of the first factors to consider when your hens stop laying is the age of the flock."

I don't know if laying through the winter would be considered "hard" on them, but it sounds like you should allow, or induce, a molt to maintain a high level of egg production, if that is what you are wanting. It's interesting to note that commercial egg producers use artificial light to maintain the highest egg production for a year, then before they can even begin to decline, they are processed (usually for chicken broth, or canned soups).
I tried looking for studies that looked at the life span and longevity of egg production in hens under artificial light, but couldn't find anything. Without any conclusive evidence, whose to say your hens will stop laying any sooner than a hen that did not lay over the winter? You'll have to let us know in 3 years how many eggs they are still laying