I am using the light method and getting less eggs?Add radio=more eggs!

[chicken_angler]

Why? I have a 125watt clear bulb on from 6:45 a.m. till 5:00 p.m., sometimes longer. Then I put on a 250watt red bulb at night. I have 13 chickens and 2 guineas. All of them are either been laying or have been for 2 years. I should be getting 14 eggs a day right because only one is a male and that is a guinea. I have 6 NHR hens, 1 rir hen, 1 shaver red hen, 1 guinea hen, 1 ee hen, 1 barred rock hen, and 3 golden buff hens.
Here is who lays---
6 NHRs lay
1 EE lays
1 barred rock lays
1 shaver red lays
1 guinea lays(summer time)
and a few others(not sure which ones)

I got 5 that are 2 yrs old


Help please!

I get 6 eggs a day.

 

[redoak]

My hens took about 2 weeks of having 14 hours of light to start laying like it was summer again.

 

[zatsdeb]

you have to remember that summertime hours are longer, the sun stays out till 8pm, or 8:30! I don't know about the red light, but we put our light out in the chicken house last year, and extended the hours, we only used a 100 light bulb, and no red bulb at night.
they will slow down a little because of the cold weather also.

 

[A.J.'s]

I dont have any idea of the reasoning behind the light schedule you have put into action.
Here in Tennessee its dark at 4 30 each day and the sun is not seen until 7am.. so I put a timer on a 40 watt bulb and timed it to come on at 3am and it goes off at 7am. it quadupuled my egg production.

Even one night wit hout the light makes a difference at my house. I unplugged it intending to go back and do some calibra tion to the t imer and forgot and the next day I got 4 eggs. so I go into my scientifc mode again and experimented with it.
Immediately without the light my girls only lay a few eggs, Immediately with the light I get much more. 10 to 17
After a continuous week of light Ive gotten as many as 24 eggs in one day.
Im not paying much attention to the stories Ive heard about burning the eggs makers up in the girls. after all , I have at least 14 hour days and have had most of my life.. I figure if I can burn myself up why not the girls?

 

[debilorrah]

Join the club - I hate it when they go on strike. Well kinda. No eggs yesterday, 4 today. No green ones for 3 weeks!!!

 

[ole-crone]

We put in those small 45 watt fluorescent bulbs. They are on from 5am-8am and we are getting between one and two dozen eggs a day now. Up from 2 or 3.

 

[skeeter]

the first year of laying is the best and it can go down hill from there

 

[dancingbear]

Very few guinea hens are daily layers. Most are seasonal layers, mostly in the spring and early summer, though they may lay a few eggs the rest of the year. Chickens don't always lay daily, either. Some high production breeds do, but it's not something you can really expect.

It's also molting season, they may be in mid-molt about now. Molting can take several weeks. Are they raggedly looking?

You said you have 5 that are 2 years old. How old are the rest? If they're older, they may be slowing down.

Do they go outside at all? Chickens often lay better if they get to go outside and run around, and get natural sunlight.

Have you had them all for two years, or is the laying history from the previous owner(s)?

What are they eating? They need at least 16% protein layer rations, higher if they're molting or recovering from molt. 18% or 20% would be good. It takes a lot of protein to make eggs and grow feathers. If they're molting, let them be until they finish growing in new feathers.

If you're sure they're not molting, you might try setting the timer on to turn the light on at an earlier time.

Why do you leave it on all day? Is there no natural light where you keep them? I wouldn't have the light on more than 14 hours, but some people do. I haven't used extra light with mine, but I might try it when they finish molting.

You said the guinea lays in summer, so I guess she isn't laying now. How are you expecting to get 14 eggs a day from 13 hens?

Sounds like they're all laying, or most are, just not every day.

 

[chicken_angler]

I recently got the guineas and havent been getting any more eggs from the female. Are you guys saying I should put the light on a timer to go on a t 5 am and turn off at like 8 or 9 am? I am leaving it on all day. Silly me! I turned the white light on today a hour later and i got more eggs. I usually get 6 and so far i have 8. Maybe they are getting over that 2 week period of getting used to winter! Yeaaaaaaah!!!

 

[chicken_angler]

Re: I am using the light method and getting less eggs??Very few guinea hens are daily layers. Most are seasonal layers, mostly in the spring and early summer, though they may lay a few eggs the rest of the year. Chickens don't always lay daily, either. Some high production breeds do, but it's not something you can really expect.

It's also molting season, they may be in mid-molt about now. Molting can take several weeks. Are they raggedly looking?

You said you have 5 that are 2 years old. How old are the rest? If they're older, they may be slowing down.

Do they go outside at all? Chickens often lay better if they get to go outside and run around, and get natural sunlight.

Have you had them all for two years, or is the laying history from the previous owner(s)?

What are they eating? They need at least 16% protein layer rations, higher if they're molting or recovering from molt. 18% or 20% would be good. It takes a lot of protein to make eggs and grow feathers. If they're molting, let them be until they finish growing in new feathers.

If you're sure they're not molting, you might try setting the timer on to turn the light on at an earlier time.

Why do you leave it on all day? Is there no natural light where you keep them? I wouldn't have the light on more than 14 hours, but some people do. I haven't used extra light with mine, but I might try it when they finish molting.

You said the guinea lays in summer, so I guess she isn't laying now. How are you expecting to get 14 eggs a day from 13 hens?

Sounds like they're all laying, or most are, just not every day.

I have 8 that are all this years hatch. The two guineas are an unidentified age. The lady i bought them from didnt know.

None are molting. They all have perfect feathers.

The 5 2-year-olds i got for free. The man said he got 5 eggs a day from all five(he only had 5)

They go outside into a huge pen that is attatched to the coop.

I feed them all a mix----Layena layer, ground corn, and a layer powdery mix from the feed store that helps with egg production.

I leave the light on all day because it is dark in there. Do I still need the red light at night? We are going to probably install a window.​