Egg production in winter

[stuhayes2010]

My girls (9 of them about 2 years old), have all but stopped laying this winter. I free range them on my 3.5 acres. They have access to feed bins but don't seem to touch them. I supply them with scratch daily. Is there any food I can supply to get my egg production from 2 eggs a day back to 6 eggs a day?

 

[vjbakke]

Supplemental light would be the best thing to help. The shorter days are mostly why production stop or dips.We have a rope light in our coop on a timer. We're in MN and our girls are 10 months old and we've only seen a slight drop in egg production. It can also depend on the breed. I have heard that the cold can affect some more than others. We have 4 RSL and one Dom.

 

[Scooter&Suzie]

It is probably the daylight. I could get into why light matters, but I don't think I will. If you put a lamp with a timer in their coop to extend the light hours to 14 hours (I think) they should start laying regualarly. Make sure it goes on in the MORNING, not night. If it is on at night they will get lost in the dark when it snaps off, and won't be able to perch. I really don't think feed will matter.


You probably never had this problem before because the young hens, or pullets, will normally lay during the winter without light.

 

[SC_Hugh]

Supplemental light would be the best thing to help. The shorter days are mostly why production stop or dips.We have a rope light in our coop on a timer. We're in MN and our girls are 10 months old and we've only seen a slight drop in egg production. It can also depend on the breed. I have heard that the cold can affect some more than others. We have 4 RSL and one Dom.

At 10 months old, your chickens are just getting in the swing of things by laying almost every day through their first winter, but at the end of 2012, expect a heavy molt just as winter starts and a significant drop in production compared to this winter....this is normal.

Our first year chickens laid eggs like there was no stopping them UNTIL that second winter. My hens are my pets, so a drop in winter production is expected to stay healthy and I don't mind feeding them quality food and getting less eggs...spring, summer and fall will come again and I will once again have too many eggs to eat.

Ways to jump start or help them grow new feathers are feeding a high protein dry cat food and lots of healthy treats, fresh water and free range exercise in the yard.

 

[stuhayes2010]

This is their second winter. Last winter, i had ten eggs a day. This winter, very little eggs.

Thanks

 

[gmolly]

use a light an give them extra light like 2 more hours a day.

 

[PsychoChicken]

Giving them extra protein worked for me. It's winter so there are less bugs around for them to forage. Makes sense. Saw the difference after about 7 days of giving them a little bit of soybeans on the side.