Decrease in egg production

[zDoc]

In the winter months with the shorter daylight hours the girls will lay less right? Will this extend their egg laying days, or are they going to slow down at a cetain age anyway? I have been getting 14 to 15 a day from 15 girls, but today only 12.

But it's been getting dark hear around 7:30.

 

[theFox]

How old are your birds, if they are going through a molt they may slow down or stop laying. It takes a lot of protein to grow feathers and to lay eggs, one or the other and frequently both will be impacted.

Some breeds also slow down because of daylight requirements, 14 hours of "full spectrum light" is considered about optimal for laying. The light if artificial need not be of high intensity.

Each bird will over time slow down, normally after their first major molt the number of eggs will drop but the size may increase.

 

[zDoc]

My question is if I don't provide artificial light, in the end, will I still have the same amount of eggs? I really don't care when I get those tasty eggs from my girls, It's just I don't want to miss out on them.

(They are less than 30 weeks old)

 

[Choco Maran]

They won't start to slow down untill they are about 3 or 4 years old. Except for the normal molt and winter decrease. One question I have HOW ARE YOU GETTING SO MANY EGGS. Up north in Las Vegas NM. we are all way way down. I have 45 girls just getting done with a molt and I'm only getting like 5 or 6 egg a day.

 

[Judy]

Quote:
I don't know whether there is a scientific answer to this. But there are only so many eggs in a chicken, just as in a human, and other animals.

If you provide artificial light, they will lay more the first year or two, but will lay less when they are older. Also, there is some evidence that there is a health benefit for them from slowing down in winter. In other words, it's harder on them in the long run to provide artificial light.

So, I believe (but do not know for sure) that the answer to your concern is, you will end up with the same number of eggs in the end.

 

[theFox]

Quote:
The number of eggs you'll get from any given bird depends on many factors other than just the amount of light they get.

They are born with a fixed egg count, how many you get will depend upon how good your bird's health is. If it is poor then the bird may die well before it would otherwise and you'll not get anywhere close to the number of eggs that a longer living bird would provide.

 

[jollygreenegger1]

I have had a 50% decrease in eggs. Last week in Western WA it was warm and very humid, I don't know if that was it or if its because the days are getting shorter. All the girls (6) look healthy, eating and drinking is normal. I am at a loss as to the low egg count.
Kevin

 

[theFox]

Quote:
How old are your birds?

Anything that causes them stress will affect their laying. This includes, high temperatures, low temperatures, lack of sufficient water, etc... etc ... (a very long list).

Depending upon the breed the duration of daylight.

Molting can result in a huge reduction in eggs.

 

[queenbeezz]

My production has dropped too. We put a light in the coop and set a timer to give them about 14 hrs total light. It come on about 6 in the morning and goes off a little after sunrise and then foes on again in the evening until about 8. Production picked up.

 

[can you hear me now?]

In the winter as the days get shorter and shorter they may stop laying altogether. Only way I can tell you to be sure they keep laying is the artificial light. I used to try turning the light on and off myself,but that didn't trick my girls. I had to actually put a timer out there to get em back laying again.