Do you use supplemental lighting?

[FortCluck]

Wondering how many of us use supplemental lighting when the days get shorter...

Do you use supplemental light? And comment below why or why not

Hoping to gain some knowledge from this because everyday I think we all learn a little more

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Nope, no extra lighting here.
A) We have a very short "off" period here. Many of my hens continue to lay through the winter so I just get less eggs for a few months and they don't stop completely.
B) I feel like it's natural for the hens to take a break from laying sometimes.

 

[MilesFluffybutt]

I live in northern VT and the winters are long and cold here so I had to use lighting - for light and heat. I wouldn't have otherwise.

 

[FortCluck]

I don't use supplemental lighting because I don't mind my chickens slowing down on laying. I had eggs throughout winter. I got between 3-8 eggs per day. I've never seen my eggs come to a complete stop.

 

[Mrs. K]

No electricity at the coop.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I have electric to my big coop. I choose to let my girls take some time off.

 

[FortCluck]

I have electric to my big coop. I choose to let my girls take some time off.

We have electric we can run to our coop, but I prefer the time off too. We are getting a lot of eggs now because they started back up this week. I think we have 5 new layers that should start laying soon.

 

[bpoore04]

I don’t use lighting but for whatever reason my chickens decided to pick up on their egg laying instead of slowing down. Before winter I was getting 8-10 eggs a day and now I’m getting 15ish.

 

[FortCluck]

I don’t use lighting but for whatever reason my chickens decided to pick up on their egg laying instead of slowing down. Before winter I was getting 8-10 eggs a day and now I’m getting 15ish.

Happy chickens

 

[IamRainey]

I don't use lighting even tho we have electricity in the coop.

I don't mind the girls having their down time and in previous years we had enough eggs through the winter to meet our needs.

This past year I thought I'd try lighting since my oldest girls are 3 now and their production is dropping. However, we have a roo and his earlier-than-usual crowing made my neighbor nutz. So we unplugged the lights.

Nine laying hens gave us an average of 3 eggs a day through the dark months. We can live with that. And, of course, as Spring approaches their production will pick up again.