How Many Eggs Did You Get Today?

[minnehaha]

Minne, I have a 75 watt bulb hanging in the coop. It is on a timer to come on at 5AM and off at 5PM (sunset). Seems to be working good so far.

What time does it actually get light in the morning, and dark at night your way?

It's dark by 330Pm here, the chickens go into the coop at 3pm, it get light around 7AM. So they are getting 8 hours of light per day.

I turned a work light on in the coop last week around 4pm so i could change the position of my coop camera and the rooster thought it was morning, he told the hens it was time to get up and go outside!!! I have an auto door and it had not shut yet, and the rooster led them all out into the run. It was funny, they just stopped in their tracks and looked outside the run into the darkness totally confused. The rooster quickly led them back into the coop and I shut the work light off.

How do yours behave with the light on?

 

[Marcy54]

No lights and 5 out of 8 laying.

 

[Creekbank]

Daylight here is 8am, sunset at 5pm. My timer comes on at 5am, so they get extra 3 hours of light in the mornings, and off at sunset, 5pm.

 

[Creekbank]

I have no roosters.

 

[COChix]

Figured I would jump in about supplemental lighting. We are averaging 20 eggs a day out of 23 laying hens with no supplemental lighting. That being said ours are young 8 months, so I know we are lucky in that respect. Hatch dates of 04/15 and started laying at the beginning of August so their got their egg machines fired up before the change of lighting. Now next year we will see what they do when they will be just over one year.

 

[mattsanity]

Figured I would jump in about supplemental lighting. We are averaging 20 eggs a day out of 23 laying hens with no supplemental lighting. That being said ours are young 8 months, so I know we are lucky in that respect. Hatch dates of 04/15 and started laying at the beginning of August so their got their egg machines fired up before the change of lighting. Now next year we will see what they do when they will be just over one year.

I had been wondering what your situation was in terms of light and age of the girls because I can't help but be jealous of your egg production. I'm hoping since my girls are just starting to get going they'll have their egg machines clicking on all cylinders for a nice long season starting this spring. Although one of my girls has done 5 straight and 6 out of 7 days so I can't complain at all for a week away from winter solstice.

 

[tntchix]

Figured I would jump in about supplemental lighting. We are averaging 20 eggs a day out of 23 laying hens with no supplemental lighting. That being said ours are young 8 months, so I know we are lucky in that respect. Hatch dates of 04/15 and started laying at the beginning of August so their got their egg machines fired up before the change of lighting. Now next year we will see what they do when they will be just over one year.

no light here either just letting chickens be chickens.

Yours are just a few weeks older than mine.

 

[COChix]

I had been wondering what your situation was in terms of light and age of the girls because I can't help but be jealous of your egg production.  I'm hoping since my girls are just starting to get going they'll have their egg machines clicking on all cylinders for a nice long season starting this spring.  Although one of my girls has done 5 straight and 6 out of 7 days so I can't complain at all for a week away from winter solstice.

No need to be jealous, we are not doing anything special,just letting them be chickens. it really ended up being a timing issue, the flock laying before the cold hit. Yours will kick in gear soon I am sure. I keep waiting for ours to slow down a bit given the lighting issue, but just happy that they are a happy healthy flock.

On a side note, seems like the boys are doing their jobs as many of the eggs we are cracking are fertilized. Can't wait for spring hatching.

no light here either just letting chickens be chickens. Yours are just a few weeks older than mine.

 

[tntchix]

1 got 6/9 out of 28 layers today. Not bad considering the banshee winds we are getting and the temp drop.

 

[minnehaha]

No lights and 5 out of 8 laying.

So your lay rate is 62%, mine is 51%-59% (I get 14-16 eggs a day), and you are in Maine, which is even further North than me. How many hours of daylight are you getting? I get 8, and I do not use lights.