looks like i will need to put a light up. Always something new for me. Had the same problem when i first started raising them. wasn't enough light in the house for them to lay. Any suggestions on what kind of light or will just about anything do?
Check out the "Lights, Winter and egg laying" thread on this forum. Note that Roosmom is using a 25 watt red incandescent.
My understanding is that the light does not need to be very bright, only sufficient to read a newspaper. I use an 11 watt compact fluorescent but the lighted and insulated part of the coop is only about 24 square feet, so not much area to light.
Too much light may result in behavior problems . . .
Supplement their lighting. My girls that sleep in their coop that used to produce alot have dwindled to almost nothing. My one
hen that lives on my front porch next to the porch light (her name is porch chicken..go figure) still lays the same. The lighting has not been as bad with the ducks though, not sure why.
My best guess is that I am going to use a light that I put on a timer according to when the sun sets to conserve energy on that part. Am really wanting my EE's to start laying as well but don't know the possibilities of that before spring gets here.
It's better to have the light come on early in the morning. If you have it go dark after the sun sets the chickens will get caught off guard and not have time to get on the roosts.