hitting the jackpot

[lilshadow]

Hey everyone, I just want to know when I am going to hit the jackpot with eggs...I have gotten 4 so far, but I have 18 hens. When will I start getting more than that. Is it because of it being cold up here? I am placing a heat lamp tomorrow only because it is suppose to be -20 to -45 degrees here this weekend brrrrrr, but will that help them.

 

[okiechick57]

If you find out . please let some of us know

, mine slowed down in the cold.....I have 22 hens............only get 3 eggs , maybe , a day.....and then there is the molting.........so it is most likely the cold.....heat lamps help so I have been told.......turning it on in the early am to extend the day.... hope it does for you........I am just waiting for spring ! Best of luck to you....

 

[Wildsky]

If your heat lamp is a LIGHT - then it will help for sure...... I think!

I JUST put in a heat lamp for my girls, set on a timer (1am-6am) as waking up and seeing it was ZERO in the coop terrified me! But mine is a ceramic heat thing so no extra light....... I'm just happy they won't freeze....

 

[Buster]

I have a light on a timer in my coop and just a heat lamp over the water (which has been freezing up anyway despite the heat lamp). My lights are set from 3:30am to 5pm. I've averaged 4 eggs a day from 10 hens but they were just moved here 2 weeks ago. I've had as many as 7 eggs in a day and they seem to take Tuesdays off and only lay one egg on Tuesdays. Anyway, the light definitely seems to help and we've been in the negatives lately for temperatures.

 

[lilshadow]

Yeah, I am getting ready to go out now and rig up some type of heat source for them because right now here is it -2, and the low is suppose to be -20 today. So hopefully they will be okay.

 

[Buster]

If you have regular lights to put out there in addition to the heat, it seems to help. I have lights on mine 13-14 hours per day to fool them into thinking the days are longer.

 

[Charlie Chicken]

Actually, heat from a supplementary heating device such as a heat lamp has very little to do with egg production. They are good for the companies that manufacture and sell them and they are good for the electric companies that supply the power for them but will do little to maintain egg production. The are also good for back yard chicken raisers who feel cold in winter and think their chickens must be cold too.

If us humans were built like a chicken and our bodies generated heat like theirs do and if we had that wonderful covering of down and feathers to hold all that body heat in, we would think quite differently.

When heat lamps are used along with extra lighting folks often believe it is the heat that is helping to maintain egg production but its actually the lights that are doing the job.

When the length of day shortens in winter, egg production will decrease. With older birds it can stop altogether. It isn't the cold that is causing this decrease in egg production but its the length of the day. If we supply the flock with supplementary light to get the day length back to 14 hours or more their egg production can be increased up to a level we would prefer.

 

[Kentucky~Momma]

Hi, not much to say except I grew up close to where you live, but have since relocated! I do miss the cold up there.....

 

[Charlie Chicken]

If I could I would ship some of that great Maine cold air down because I have had enough but I haven't figured out how to do it.

The chickens are doing fine though and they haven't seen a heat lamp since they were 5 weeks old!

I also have a 30 year old mare out in the barn and her stall doesn't even have a door on it. She comes in and goes out as she pleases all year round. Horses are built different than people too. When winter arrives they grow that thick coat of hair and as long as you keep them well fed so that their body can generate heat they will remain healthy and do quite well.

 

[Charlie Chicken]

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