Do chickens lay eggs in the winter?

[Smf0723]

Ive heard that chickens lay fewer eggs in the winter and i wanted to know if that was true and why.

 

[sumi]

Hello and welcome to BYC

Hen's ovaries are stimulated by the amount of light hours they are exposed to. Shorter days (winter) means fewer eggs. This is why commercial eggs farms and some backyard chicken keepers provide electric light in the coop, to lengthen the "daylight" hours.

 

[Kevin565]

Hello and welcome to BYC

Hen's ovaries are stimulated by the amount of light hours they are exposed to. Shorter days (winter) means fewer eggs. This is why commercial eggs farms and some backyard chicken keepers provide electric light in the coop, to lengthen the "daylight" hours.

 

[1muttsfan]

Hi and welcome to BYC from northern Michigan

 

[mkcolls]

from Ohio!

sumi gave you the conventional wisdom on why hens may not lay or may lay less in winter.
Personal experience - our newbie pullets from last summer laid well through the winter, our 18 month old hens nearly stopped altogether.
We supplemented lighting 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the evening and egg production picked up by 20%.
From what we read hens benefit from the slow down in darker, colder months.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

Hi and from Ohio. So glad to have you aboard.

 

[Red Barn Farms]