Chickens laying like midsummer only it's not.

[7 chicken army]

This is something weird and I just want to run it by you folks in case there's a problem I'm not thinking of. My hens went into molt in the fall, as usual, and didn't lay through part of October, November, December. Then about a week ago I got a surprise egg. Since that one I'm getting two to four eggs a day and I'm really surprised. I do supplement light but they're still not getting 14 hours.It seems dark enough to me out at the coop but I'm wondering if new street/parking lot lights that are visible in the semi-close distance could be causing them to lay more even if they don't directly light up the coop. Plus I am wondering if too much light would cause problems, should I be concerned about that.I'm not unhappy about the eggs but it seems out of place to me so I thought I'd see what you guys thought, thanks!

 

[rooster58]

IMHO I think it is normal. It's getting to be that time of year. More natural light. It's been over a month since the winter solstice. I wouldn't think you have anything to worry about. My girls gave me 7-8 eggs everyday through the darkest days of winter. They are now giving a steady bakers dozen everyday. I have 16 layers.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

This is something weird and I just want to run it by you folks in case there's a problem I'm not thinking of. My hens went into molt in the fall, as usual, and didn't lay through part of October, November, December. Then about a week ago I got a surprise egg. Since that one I'm getting two to four eggs a day and I'm really surprised. I do supplement light but they're still not getting 14 hours.It seems dark enough to me out at the coop but I'm wondering if new street/parking lot lights that are visible in the semi-close distance could be causing them to lay more even if they don't directly light up the coop. Plus I am wondering if too much light would cause problems, should I be concerned about that.I'm not unhappy about the eggs but it seems out of place to me so I thought I'd see what you guys thought, thanks!

Has your weather been unseasonably warm there? It feels like spring here now and I think the girls (and the grass, and the bugs) are in "spring mode". That's been good for laying - it's picked up a lot in the last week - but I can't help but wonder if a cold snap will put the brakes on laying again...and it's supposed to cool off later this week.

 

[aart]

This is something weird and I just want to run it by you folks in case there's a problem I'm not thinking of. My hens went into molt in the fall, as usual, and didn't lay through part of October, November, December. Then about a week ago I got a surprise egg. Since that one I'm getting two to four eggs a day and I'm really surprised. I do supplement light but they're still not getting 14 hours.It seems dark enough to me out at the coop but I'm wondering if new street/parking lot lights that are visible in the semi-close distance could be causing them to lay more even if they don't directly light up the coop. Plus I am wondering if too much light would cause problems, should I be concerned about that.I'm not unhappy about the eggs but it seems out of place to me so I thought I'd see what you guys thought, thanks!

A couple of my fall molters have come back into lay without any extra light.
How much light are yours getting and where is it located?

The streetlights are not going to have an affect on laying, light needs to be 'bright enough to read a newspaper' at roost level in order to stimulate glands.

 

[bobbi-j]

Mine have started picking up the past couple of days, too. I bought 2 dozen eggs from another chicken keeper last week - maybe that kicked them into gear!

 

[7 chicken army]

IMHO I think it is normal. It's getting to be that time of year. More natural light. It's been over a month since the winter solstice. I wouldn't think you have anything to worry about. My girls gave me 7-8 eggs everyday through the darkest days of winter. They are now giving a steady bakers dozen everyday. I have 16 layers.

Mine didn't start laying again last winter til April, and even though we've just passed the solstice, my latitude is further north than yours plus we tend to be cloudy here. Got four more eggs today.

 

[7 chicken army]

A couple of my fall molters have come back into lay without any extra light.
How much light are yours getting and where is it located?

The streetlights are not going to have an affect on laying, light needs to be 'bright enough to read a newspaper' at roost level in order to stimulate glands.

I have several strings of white LED Christmas lights strung in the coop and in the yard. It's pretty bright out there when they come on, which they are doing at 4AM.

 

[7 chicken army]

Has your weather been unseasonably warm there? It feels like spring here now and I think the girls (and the grass, and the bugs) are in "spring mode". That's been good for laying - it's picked up a lot in the last week - but I can't help but wonder if a cold snap will put the brakes on laying again...and it's supposed to cool off later this week.

It actually was very cold from about Christmas until maybe a week ago. It has been clearer than usual though so I'm thinking maybe it seems like the sun is going down later just because it's not so cloudy right now. Yeah, I guess I shouldn't be too annoyed at eggs, lol, they could quit any time.