Heat lamp and egg laying

[FT Chickens]

Hello all. My buff Orpington's have started molt nearly a month ago. With cold temps coming I have put in a heat lamp to help waterer from freezing. With the red light going will this bring them out of molt sooner and egg production start again? If so, how long would it take?

 

[PioneerChicks]

Heat lamps won't affect the molt in any way. When they are done molting and start laying again you can use to heat lamp to make the "day" last longer so they will lay more eggs.

But I don't use heat lamps because:
1. Chickens need a break from laying, and winter is that break. If you take away the break you will make their lives shorter.
2. If the electricity were to suddenly go out the chickens, used to the extra heat, would freeze (possibly to death).
3. Chickens are tough and have everything they need to survive winter (even while molting), as long as the coop has good ventilation.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Silkie seems to have it right, but...

I'd like to add a 4. Heatlamps can malfunction or get hot enough to catch chicken dander on fire and burn down your whole coop with the chickens inside.

Since you're in Ohio, chances are good unless you have silkies or other delicate breeds that your chickens would benefit more from something like a heated waterer than a heat lamp.

 

[aart]

With the red light going will this bring them out of molt sooner and egg production start again? If so, how long would it take?

No. Red light does not work as supplemental light for laying.
Here's a pretty good article on supplemental lighting.
Lose the heat lamp, find a better way to keep water thawed.

Heatlamps can malfunction or get hot enough to catch chicken dander on fire and burn down your whole coop with the chickens inside.

Since you're in Ohio, chances are good unless you have silkies or other delicate breeds that your chickens would benefit more from something like a heated waterer than a heat lamp.

Ditto Dat^^^

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't necessarily agree with everything in that article the way it is stated. It is still really good article, I suggest you read it.

Based on my experience I don't think hens need 13 or 14 hours of light to lay, I've had plenty that will lay pretty well on 10 hours of light after they are over the molt. I think what the author is getting at is to prevent your hens from stopping laying you need to provide enough light so the days never get shorter to the hens.

A poultry science professional who teaches at one of the top poultry science schools in the US, specializes in chicken reproduction, and works with the poultry industry said that hens can run out of viable ova. In the industry the even have a name for them, they are called slick hens. It's not a pure number thing. As they age some hen's ova can become defective. He did say that in the backyard setting that is extremely rare and not something to worry about.

Something that hasn't been mentioned. Chickens need a certain amount of dark downtime at night. I don't know what the minimum amount is but if they don't get enough dark you can have behavioral problems and egg quality can suffer.

 

[FT Chickens]

Thanks