Well folks, Breaking News Alert! My hen's made a liar out of me!! 7 egg's today! Cloudy and 50 degree's and I got 7. Might be the last time but as 'aart' would probably say, '7 out of 9, aint bad!' 

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About heat not playing a factor in laying. When it gets cold chickens stop laying to preserve their energy for staying warm, and because they know their chicks won't survive. There are other factors as well obviously like light and food. But cold/heat does play a factor.What part are you saying is false?
Why do you think it is false?
Not bad at allWell folks, Breaking News Alert! My hen's made a liar out of me!! 7 egg's today! Cloudy and 50 degree's and I got 7. Might be the last time but as 'aart' would probably say, '7 out of 9, aint bad!'![]()
It's plastered all over the internet that keeping your chickens warm during winter will help them produce eggs in the winter. It's not just in one blog. I gave that link as an educational resource.Funny, then how pullets will lay all winter here where it is below freezing for weeks on end.
Nice impressively long post, much copied from the blog you linked?
Some of it is good info, some of it is inaccurate.
Let nature take it's course.. of course nature is a love hate relationship... like marriage(s). Which sometimes love to hate. Have had the same flock for 8 years now.. never heat nor a light bulb. New arrivals all the time.. Winter comes and egg laying can cease.. Oldies I hope to let live out their retirement.. I owe them that.. but times change. My chickens are well fed and cared for.. I also owe them that.. Chickens may be a tropical bird that has adapted well to sub zero with a stout coup.. just block the wind, dry litter and unfrozen water a challenge.It's plastered all over the internet that keeping your chickens warm during winter will help them produce eggs in the winter. It's not just in one blog. I gave that link as an educational resource.
Industrial chicken farmers also keep their buildings at a very specific temperature. Because it plays a key factor in egg production. Which is what makes them their money. I would know, my boyfriend is the supervisor at the largest egg producing factory in the Maritime provinces, Canada .
I highly doubt they spend thousands of dollars a year on heat....just for fun.
Pretty sure they know what their doing.
Farm animal stores also give great advice. Advice like this. That's who I also ask questions and respect their answers . The people who sell me the animals. People who know what they are talking about. I highly doubt everyone's in it together to lie to the general public about the importance of keeping chickens warm. That's great that your chickens are doing so good in a 'below freezing climate' with out a nice warm coop. I wish everyone else could say the same![]()
I explained the entire 'nature taking course' in the previous post, and also explained it's a personal decision to be made. I don't add heat to my chicken coop. I insulate the chicken coop walls with hay for the winter. That seems to be enough warmth for my chickens to stay warm, be happy and continue laying. I don't think I'm changing nature too much by insulating with hay. And if I were to 'just block the wind' in my region, all my chickens would die from the elemets here. Like you said, I owe it to my birds to take care of them responsibly.Let nature take it's course.. of course nature is a love hate relationship... like marriage(s). Which sometimes love to hate. Have had the same flock for 8 years now.. never heat nor a light bulb. New arrivals all the time.. Winter comes and egg laying can cease.. Oldies I hope to let live out their retirement.. I owe them that.. but times change. My chickens are well fed and cared for.. I also owe them that.. Chickens may be a tropical bird that has adapted well to sub zero with a stout coup.. just block the wind, dry litter and unfrozen water a challenge.
"But it acctually doesn't matter what his opinion is when it comes to me making these decisions." Thanks for the chuckle.. it's early. Nothing personal nor sexist.. been married twice.. Notice not third time as in the charm business. Ventilation is more important than insulation.. from experience and what I read here.. chickens and lung issues. Have thought of insulating but they would just eat it or tear it down.. again an issue of their well being... Once upon a time I had two outdoor dogs and chickens.. The dogs would not sleep in their 'fine' insulated houses.. but one preferred a burrow beneath he dug and one the snow drift. They were in the open minus forest. One night it got down to minus -40 too -50 below zero.. Didn't see it coming and neither the lying weatherman. I freaked out and thought. OMG! The dogs! The chickens did fine. The dogs were a little stiff.. One came out of the snow drift which covered him completely.. Animals are tough and people weak.. How 'WE' ever made it thus far is beyond nature.. By the way, a hunter and fisherman from earliest memory.. and some fine free range chicken dinners and venison plural.. So no prepubescent feline here.. Dear and/or Yes Dear.. Tanks..I explained the entire 'nature taking course' in the previous post, and also explained it's a personal decision to be made. I don't add heat to my chicken coop. I insulate the chicken coop walls with hay for the winter. That seems to be enough warmth for my chickens to stay warm, be happy and continue laying. I don't think I'm changing nature too much by insulating with hay. And if I were to 'just block the wind' in my region, all my chickens would die from the elemets here. Like you said, I owe it to my birds to take care of them responsibly.
We domesticated dogs....but we don't keep them outside and just block the wind', because it's convenient. It should be the same for domesticated chickens too.
Everyone has a preference and a choice as to keeping their birds laying in the winter or not. Everyone also has the right to make that decision on their own, without anyone telling them what to do. As for me .... I have a responsibility to provide and take good care of my children. For us this is a means of life. And we humans have been doing it for a VERY long time. I don't choose to 'opt out' of laying and go buy eggs commercially for the colder months, from hens that are caged their entire life. I choose to keep providing for my family, and also giving my birds the best possible life, and also not contribute to caged animals as best as I can. As for my boyfriend...he has a different opinion, as he works for a commercial egg producer. But it acctually doesn't matter what his opinion is when it comes to me making these decisions. It's my children, and it's my responsibility, and it's my decision. And I choose to feed my family. If everyone lived by your motto, nobody would hunt or fish and nobody would raise meat on their homesteads. Because that's not allowing animals to live to their fullest potential either. It's cutting them short of their full potential in life Except, at least the chickens aren't dieing. Their living a happy long life consistently laying eggs, and when they stop laying.... We continue to take care of them and love them for years to come.
But at the end of the day when it comes to choosing between a chickens long life and my children's long life ....I choose to provide for my children.... in the most humane possible way. Like most people.
Well I have to say, your response acctually brought a smile to my face. Genuinely."But it acctually doesn't matter what his opinion is when it comes to me making these decisions." Thanks for the chuckle.. it's early. Nothing personal nor sexist.. been married twice.. Notice not third time is in the charm business. Ventilation is more important than insulation.. from experience and what I read here.. chickens and lung issues. Have thought of insulating but they would just eat it or tear it down.. again an issue of their well being... Once upon a time I had two outdoor dogs and chickens.. The dogs would not sleep in their 'fine' insulated houses.. but one preferred a burrow beneath he dug and one the snow drift. They were in the open minus forest. One night it got down to minus -40 too -50 below zero.. Didn't see it coming and neither the lying weatherman. I freaked out and thought. OMG! The dogs! The chickens did fine. The dogs were a little stiff.. One came out of the snow drift which covered him completely.. Animals are tough and people weak.. How 'WE' ever made it thus far is beyond nature.. By the way, a hunter and fisherman from earliest memory.. and some fine free range chicken dinners and venison plural.. So no prepubescent feline here.. Dear and/or Yes Dear.. Tanks..
Both, very.Clearly in my post I acted somewhat defensive, and some of my views in life are strong.
Oh my god aart. stop looking for...and spamming all my responses on back yard chickens. Every post I've ever made .... you've left a negative comment, with inaccurate information. Every time I try to help people, you leave a negative useless remark to my post. Which is why my defences were up automatically with the other user.Both, very.