How to get chickens laying in winter?

[AlexEve]

Hello all
My chicks are growing up fast, and should be laying by November. However, where I live we can get as few as 8 hours of daylight, which I’m sure is not enough to get them laying. What can I do so they lay eggs throughout the winter?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

What breeds?
What latitude?
The best way to do it that usually is successful is when they are approaching 5 months of age, put a light in the coop at roost height and start incrementing day length by putting it on a timer and add about 20 minutes daylength each week. After a few weeks of increased day length, they should all kick in at the same time.

 

[chickenlittle21]

Put an artificial light in their coop and make sure to keep their coop warm. Some breeds, even with all that, just refuse to lay during winter. What breeds are the chicks?

 

[AlexEve]

What breeds?
What latitude?
The best way to do it that usually is successful is when they are approaching 5 months of age, put a light in the coop at roost height and start incrementing day length by putting it on a timer and add about 20 minutes daylength each week. After a few weeks of increased day length, they should all kick in at the same time.

They are Columbian Rock chickens. I live near Calgary Alberta, so a somewhat high latitude. Thanks!

 

[AlexEve]

Put an artificial light in their coop and make sure to keep their coop warm. Some breeds, even with all that, just refuse to lay during winter. What breeds are the chicks?

Columbian Rocks, I’ve heard they are very cold hardy

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Any variety of Plymouth Rock is cold hardy. They are - after all - from Plymouth Rock.
Cold has very little to do with it. If a pullet/hen is experiencing steadily increasing day length vis a vis darkness, when the pineal gland senses that change, their gonads will be stimulated to produce hormones that kickstart ovulation.