Hello

[Boutinc]

My name is Carla. I decided I would love to have a flock of 12 gurls and researched rather rigorously before reinforcing the dog kennel in the backyard of my new home. I live in Massachusetts and we get tons of snow and winters are pretty vicious at times. I have already purchased a large heated waterer but worry about them being out there with no heater. My main reason in getting them is to have all the fresh eggs but, without heat will egg production plummet?

 

[Perris]

hello @Boutinc ! welcome to BYC
Light is the critical factor rather than heat; they stop laying when the daylight shortens. Some people install lights in the coop to overcome this, whereas others allow their hens to rest and recuperate before starting up laying again in spring.

 

[N F C]

Hi Carla, @Perris is correct about light being the issue. How old is your flock?

 

[DobieLover]

Hello, Carla, and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
As long as your coop is kept DRY with lots of ventilation, they will not need supplemental heat.
As mentioned, light is what keeps them producing eggs although any source of stress will cause a drop off.
If you have pullets, they will continue to lay well throughout the winter regardless of the shortened days. Hens will moult in the fall and likely take a break during winter where they will produce very few eggs.
I am in the "no supplemental light" camp as I feel that it is very hard on their bodies to produce eggs all year, then replace all their feathers and then force them to get right back to laying eggs again with no break. They are animals. Not machines.

 

[Boutinc]

Hi Carla, @Perris is correct about light being the issue. How old is your flock?

They were born on March 25th and have started production in August. It was slow at first with just a couple eggs daily and I am up to about 7-10 now.

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to BYC. Good advice above.

Here are some links to useful resources:

• List of guides on how to use the site - “How to...” guides
• Great go-to resource - Learning Centre
• Good starting point for browsing the site - Articles
• Insightful feedback on how members manage their flocks - Topic of the Week back-catalogue
• Excellent sources of local information - U.S. States

Best wishes

Pork Pie

 

[Boutinc]

Hello, Carla, and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
As long as your coop is kept DRY with lots of ventilation, they will not need supplemental heat.
As mentioned, light is what keeps them producing eggs although any source of stress will cause a drop off.
If you have pullets, they will continue to lay well throughout the winter regardless of the shortened days. Hens will moult in the fall and likely take a break during winter where they will produce very few eggs.
I am in the "no supplemental light" camp as I feel that it is very hard on their bodies to produce eggs all year, then replace all their feathers and then force them to get right back to laying eggs again with no break. They are animals. Not machines.

I posted a picture of the beautiful coop they live in. I can no longer let them free range as a neighbor complaint left me with no choice to leave them inside. There is plenty if room and it’s very enforced so no worries about predators. I closed the window all but a couple inches yesterday. It stays very dry inside and they seem happy now after days of screaming when I had to keep them inside. I was SO SAD

 

[DobieLover]

I posted a picture of the beautiful coop they live in. I can no longer let them free range as a neighbor complaint left me with no choice to leave them inside. There is plenty if room and it’s very enforced so no worries about predators. I closed the window all but a couple inches yesterday. It stays very dry inside and they seem happy now after days of screaming when I had to keep them inside. I was SO SAD

I know how you feel. I had to confine mine to a pen. It's about 1/3 acre but the flock had been accustomed to going wherever they wanted. They were just going to far and, to me, being a nuisance and definitely putting themselves in danger of getting hit by a car or taken by a predator.
When they were first put in the pen, they kept flying up to the gate tops and jumping over. They all got wing clips and pouted for weeks about their new prison. I've since built a new coop and huge run inside the pen and added another planting arrangement and they have all gotten used to their new home and seem to really enjoy it.
It takes time. It was definitely harder on me than them. But now, I couldn't imagine letting them out and allowing them the same level of risk. I think it's a great compromise. You will get used to your flock being confined to their run long after they do!

 

[Boutinc]

Hello, Carla, and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
As long as your coop is kept DRY with lots of ventilation, they will not need supplemental heat.
As mentioned, light is what keeps them producing eggs although any source of stress will cause a drop off.
If you have pullets, they will continue to lay well throughout the winter regardless of the shortened days. Hens will moult in the fall and likely take a break during winter where they will produce very few eggs.
I am in the "no supplemental light" camp as I feel that it is very hard on their bodies to produce eggs all year, then replace all their feathers and then force them to get right back to laying eggs again with no break. They are animals. Not machines.

I definitely do not want them to stress and will let the light be what it is without adding additional. The heater for the water will be inside the coop to keep it protected from the elements. I agree they are animals and just want to keep them happy.

 

[Boutinc]

I know how you feel. I had to confine mine to a pen. It's about 1/3 acre but the flock had been accustomed to going wherever they wanted. They were just going to far and, to me, being a nuisance and definitely putting themselves in danger of getting hit by a car or taken by a predator.
When they were first put in the pen, they kept flying up to the gate tops and jumping over. They all got wing clips and pouted for weeks about their new prison. I've since built a new coop and huge run inside the pen and added another planting arrangement and they have all gotten used to their new home and seem to really enjoy it.
It takes time. It was definitely harder on me than them. But now, I couldn't imagine letting them out and allowing them the same level of risk. I think it's a great compromise. You will get used to your flock being confined to their run long after they do!

Yes I agree. I do feel better knowing they are safe in there. I also found a nest if eggs behind our shed so now I no longer have to worry about that either. I just wanted them to be able to eat all the bugs. Ticks are bad living near the woods. I also don’t miss poop being everywhere.