eggs down!

[jimz1]

When the temp started dropping and the days started getting shorter, our chickens quit laying. some of them quit laying altogether. We were getting between 8 and 11 eggs per day. Now we get 1 or 2 eggs daily. My EE hasn't laid an egg for about a month. I'm getting the coop wired for a light and the heated waterbowl. Will the light help that much? I was thinking a 75 watt bulb, coming on at 4 am then off around 7am. Then on again about 4 pm and off around 7 pm. Will the light also help in heating the coop? They seem to be ok with 40 degree temps.

 

[mgw]

Last year we used extra light in the winter and the laying never slowed! This year we have not used extra light and we are down to about 2-3 eggs a day out of 10 so I would say it works good!

 

[K-12 Chickens]

Yes, the light does help with egg production. A heat bulb is going to give you more heat than a regular 75 watt bulb and the light is just the same. The best time for a heat lamp I think is when the temp drops below 20 degrees, otherwise, a 75 watt bulb will do the light job just fine, but not provide much heat. My chickens get about 12-14 hours of daylight with the heat lamp and helps a lot with them laying eggs. Hope this helps!

 

[jimz1]

Do you think they will all start laying again?
If I use a heat lamp, does the bulb still need to be red or was that just for the young birds?

 

[digitS']

I live where the winter weather is fairly cold but not as cold as northern Wisconsin

. One thing, the daylight hours here are darn short at this time of year.

The indoor part of my coop has 2 side-by-side doors but no windows. One door is taken off thru much of the year and a screen replaces it. It is fairly tall and, with the pop door, provides good ventilation thru most of the year.

I don't feel that there is a good reason to have a window. That room is fully insulated - floor, walls and ceiling. It would, however, have no light during the coldest months, without electricity.

The purpose of the little 11-watt CFL bulb is not to provide any heat. The room is small so it provides enuf light. Heat is from the feed

. And yes, they do eat quite a bit more when it is real cold - up to about 1/3 more, I've noticed. Other than that increased intake, it's the down coat that keeps a hen warm in my coop. I do have to get out there and get the eggs early on really cold days. There have been frozen eggs a few times.

Anyway, the light is on a timer. Years ago, I just left it on all the time because I felt that it was important for them to be able to get down and eat whenever they wanted to. In recent years, I've used a setting that is about equal to the longest day of the year. I set the timer and turn the light on about the 1st of September, even before the screen comes out and I re-install the door.

Will your hens begin laying again soon? I think that depends on their age and how long they have been out of lay.

Steve

 

[karimw]

I let my girls cycle down then recently added the light on a timer. Laying has picked back up pretty well for the younger girls. You don't need to worry about heat - I just use a natural light low energy 60 watt bulb from 5:30 Am - 7 PM. I know the advice is to have it shut off at normal dusk, but I found it disrupts the birds more when I come in to do chores after work and have to turn lights on. This way the lights turn off after I am gone and everyone is back on their perches by then.