Increasing/Decreasing light for maturing birds

[FingerLakesChick]

My chickens will be 20 weeks old at the end of September. Is supplementing their daylight so that they start getting 15 hours of light per day in the middle August too soon? Would that be forcing them to grow too quickly? Should I wait until they are closer 20 weeks old to implement my lighting plan? Or would the sudden change of light going on at 4:00 (+/-) in the morning be a shock to them?

Any advice would be very much appreciated.

 

[bigzio]

Usually chicks that are hatched in early spring that start to lay before fall will lay all winter the first year without additional light.
Chicks that are hatched later in the year might not lay til the next spring. Providing 14 hours of light daily will solve the late hatch problem, starting by adding light when your days become less than 14 hours with a timer set correctly that you can provide them with the correct light will keep them laying. It is a decision that you need to make. Hens usually take a rest in the shorter light day hours to give themselves some needed rest.

While new pullets have no stress from laying, the additional light will provide eggs through the winter. Good Luck.

bigzio

 

[FingerLakesChick]

Thank you for the helpful advice. Who knew there was such "science" to raising chickens?