Is there a downside to putting a light in the coop for the winter months?

[Ridgerunner]

This is a quote from Chicken Chick’s blog. The link is in Post #40 in this thread to give proper credit to Indigosands for sharing it. I’ll give the link again for those that don’t want to go back and find post #40.

As for her "lifetime" supply of eggs, she is born with the number of possible ova (yolks) already set. These number in the hundreds of thousands, and would take decades of daily egg production to deplete. A hen will stop laying because of old age (and therefore produce less eggs in her life) long before she would ever run out of ova to produce eggs.

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/09/supplemental-light-in-coop-why-how.html

As you can see, a hen’s lifetime supply of possible ova is in the hundreds of thousands. Let’s do some rough math. At 365 days a year and one egg a day, it would take about 3 years for her to lay 1000 eggs. Assuming the lower range of only 100,000 ova to start with (it actually said a few hundred thousand) it would take about 300 years for the hen to run out of potential yolks. That’s quite a few decades. I really don’t think a lighting program is going to cause her to run out of yolks.

 

[Gifa]

This is a quote from Chicken Chick’s blog. The link is in Post #40 in this thread to give proper credit to Indigosands for sharing it. I’ll give the link again for those that don’t want to go back and find post #40.

As for her "lifetime" supply of eggs, she is born with the number of possible ova (yolks) already set. These number in the hundreds of thousands, and would take decades of daily egg production to deplete. A hen will stop laying because of old age (and therefore produce less eggs in her life) long before she would ever run out of ova to produce eggs.

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/09/supplemental-light-in-coop-why-how.html

As you can see, a hen’s lifetime supply of possible ova is in the hundreds of thousands. Let’s do some rough math. At 365 days a year and one egg a day, it would take about 3 years for her to lay 1000 eggs. Assuming the lower range of only 100,000 ova to start with (it actually said a few hundred thousand) it would take about 300 years for the hen to run out of potential yolks. That’s quite a few decades. I really don’t think a lighting program is going to cause her to run out of yolks.

It appears that there is some disagreement about the number...

From Backyard Poultry Magazine (who I'd hope is reputable, researched, fact-checked and edited)
http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/6-5/the_answer_man_layer_issues/

"Defined Number of Ova
I have heard that a pullet is born with a certain number of ova, which determines how many eggs that hen will lay in a lifetime. Is this true?
D. A. Smith, Montana

Yes and no. It is true that a pullet is born with a certain number of egg cells. Some studies have shown that an 18-week old hen (ready to lay) has less than 1,000 ova (egg cells) available in her ovary. As far as we know, there is no mechanism for her to produce any more.
Of course, the number of eggs she will actually lay can be much less than this, depending on health, nutrition, lighting factors, etc. It cannot be more than that number, however."



I don't light my girls... and I graph their productivity...




Come the end of June, when the days were as long as they get, I was getting about 5-6 eggs a week in from my leghorn in her first year... She molted in August... and took almost 3 weeks off... Since then, I get about 4 or 5 eggs a week.

My Leghorn laid about 250 eggs in her first year... I expect about 200 in her second year of laying, 125-150 in her third year... 75-100 in her fourth year, and if she makes it a grand 5 years, only 50... etc...

Which from what I understand... 800 (less than 1000) is a fair expectation for a Leghorn...

Contrast that with commercial egg farms who toss their hens after the first 2 years in favor of younger layers... Those hens live in a very controlled, though stressful environment... 6 eggs per week * 52 weeks = 312 * 2 years = 625 eggs the 3rd year might produce another 175 more... clearly not cost effective... Which is why they only keep hens around for 2 years...

Essentially... about 800 eggs in 6 or 7 years... or 800 eggs in 3 years... Even though kept well a hen may live to a ripe old age of 10 years or so...

 

[lilygombosh]

I light the coop as well, I turn the light on from dark until about 8:00. Mostly for my own sake- it is too dark out there! I like seeing what I am doing. The hens have been laying for a year now, pretty consistent so far.

 

[Cindy in PA]

Ups

• Higher egg production
• Some added warmth
• Delays molting

Downs

• Fire Hazard
• Could promote feather picking
• Roosters crowing at night
• Hens will use up their finite supply of eggs within 2-3 years and you will need to "turn over" your flock sooner.
• Coop will be messier as the birds will be milling about versus sitting on the roost
• Could attract predators
  

I wish someone would have told my hens that lighting delays molting. They have been taking turns molting even with the light! Lighting in winter allows the birds to eat more to keep warm. No hen is going to go through their "finite" amount of eggs in 2-3 years. All will slow down as they age. My coop is always messier in winter since the birds are inside a lot longer. My 40 watt bulb doesn't heat the coop.

 

[Ridgerunner]

From Backyard Poultry Magazine (who I'd hope is reputable, researched, fact-checked and edited)
http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/6-5/the_answer_man_layer_issues/

 

Unfortunately it’s not totally. I used to get Backyard Poultry. Many of the articles are from people with opinions and even certain agendas based on personal experience the way they do things, not necessarily fair balanced articles based on real research. There is a lot of good information in that magazine but just like Countryside or any of the others you always have to read those articles carefully and with some skepticism.

It's hard to know who to believe. On one hand you have an avian veterinarian. You'd think that would be a reliable source, but is that doctor interpolating from what they know about other species? Is that avian expertise more in parrots or emus rather than chickens?

On the other hand you have an extension agent. He should have access to good research from the land grant university in his state and a big part of the agent's job is to research questions like this. You'd think it would be a reliable source. But I have seen other articles and such on the extension websites that are not 100% totally factual. The quality of the answer depends on where that research actually came from.

Then you have the situation that when they are born some females have a tremendous number of ova but as they age, a lot of those ova die off. It's possible both sources are "right". They are just talking about different ages or got there base information at different ages. From what I've read, ova degrade over time to the point that hatchability decreases with older hens eggs. I did not say that an older hen's eggs won't hatch, I said they are a little less likely to hatch.

I don't know which is the "right" answer, but I'm really skeptical that a hen will run out of ova to produce eggs. They just slow down as they age.

 

[wsmith]

I think Ridgerunner answered the question best way back on the first of second page of this thread.

Everybody has chickens for their own reasons. They have their own flock management and philosophies. Those concerns and convictions determine how we raise our flocks, and in this case, whether we light our coops. It is a proven fact that adding supplimental light on a set schedule can increase egg production.

My flock is primarily American Dominiques. My goals include breeding to APA SoP and to develop a line that lays well in the winter and also year round, without supplimental heating or lighting; basically in the same conditions that the breed developed originally. Most of the breeds we love, especially the Heritage breeds were developed before electricity was used extensively on farms. Yes, my flock slows down egg production during the winter, and goes through a heavy molt in late summer/early fall. I was aware of, and accepted this before I got Dominiques. I am also in colorado, and it does get cold. At my place it isn't uncommon to have sustained winds at over 60 mph. This can be year round, and when it is snowing hard, it can get a little crazy. But I also don't heat my coops, and I have not had any bird freeze or even appear to be uncomfortable.

I also keep charts and spreadsheets. As of right now, my Doms are averaging over 200 eggs per year each. No heat, no extra lighting.

As has been stated before, its up to the chicken keeper. Some feel more comfortable heating their coops and giving them more light. If that's what you want then go for it. Each method has pros and cons.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[johnderosa1]

I think Ridgerunner answered the question best way back on the first of second page of this thread.

Everybody has chickens for their own reasons. They have their own flock management and philosophies. Those concerns and convictions determine how we raise our flocks, and in this case, whether we light our coops. It is a proven fact that adding supplimental light on a set schedule can increase egg production.

My flock is primarily American Dominiques. My goals include breeding to APA SoP and to develop a line that lays well in the winter and also year round, without supplimental heating or lighting; basically in the same conditions that the breed developed originally. Most of the breeds we love, especially the Heritage breeds were developed before electricity was used extensively on farms. Yes, my flock slows down egg production during the winter, and goes through a heavy molt in late summer/early fall. I was aware of, and accepted this before I got Dominiques. I am also in colorado, and it does get cold. At my place it isn't uncommon to have sustained winds at over 60 mph. This can be year round, and when it is snowing hard, it can get a little crazy. But I also don't heat my coops, and I have not had any bird freeze or even appear to be uncomfortable.

I also keep charts and spreadsheets. As of right now, my Doms are averaging over 200 eggs per year each. No heat, no extra lighting.

As has been stated before, its up to the chicken keeper. Some feel more comfortable heating their coops and giving them more light. If that's what you want then go for it. Each method has pros and cons.

Just my 2 cents.

Couldn't have said it better . Completely agree.

 

[Gifa]

No hen is going to go through their "finite" amount of eggs in 2-3 years.

No... but the industrial egg farms do toss and replace them after two years because they do slow down significantly after their second year and are not as cost effective as a younger hen... And they DO provide an artificial day for them with lights... that was my point.

 

[Cindy in PA]

No... but the industrial egg farms do toss and replace them after two years because they do slow down significantly after their second year and are not as cost effective as a younger hen... And they DO provide an artificial day for them with lights... that was my point.

So you wish to pay for feed and have less eggs each year. I add light, because my chickens are for eggs & I'm not buying their food for nothing. I too eat them or sell them after 2 years. It is not cost effective to keep them longer, not to mention no one wants them after that. It's not cost effective for me to feed a young hen through the winter and get no eggs. Each person as mentioned above has their own way of doing things. If people want to keep their chickens until old age, that's great! My chickens get good food, shelter & a great life while their here and in return they give me eggs.

 

[Gifa]

So you wish to pay for feed and have less eggs each year. I add light, because my chickens are for eggs & I'm not buying their food for nothing. I too eat them or sell them after 2 years. It is not cost effective to keep them longer, not to mention no one wants them after that. It's not cost effective for me to feed a young hen through the winter and get no eggs. Each person as mentioned above has their own way of doing things. If people want to keep their chickens until old age, that's great! My chickens get good food, shelter & a great life while their here and in return they give me eggs.

No, I think my comments have been taken the wrong way...

It's totally your prerogative to light or not. I just listed the pros and cons in response to the TS as I understand them, and provided the reasoning or info behind the ones that others questioned me on.

I don't have an issue with people who are in it for the highest productivity they can get if they are making it a thing about profit... But I am not interested in participating in that kind of food production. I am totally not in it for profit... I am in it for a more respectful or more natural relationship with the sources of my food. I don't shop at Walmart (and haven't for 18 years) for the same reason... I am not interested in the raping and exploiting of resources and animals for the least amount of money possible.

I have 7 hens for just me and my husband... I keep them healthy, safe and go out of my way to provide a significantly higher quality of life and a more natural cycle for the animals that are providing me with food than is offered to the animals that provide grocer shelf stocks.

I use their eggs in bread making, I use eggs in noodle making, I use eggs as eggs... I use eggs for making pigment binders for paint in my art making... I use their droppings for enriching my compost, which provides me a rich fertilizer for growing vegetables in during the summer.... I give away or sell my excess eggs to neighbors and co-workers when I have them... The modest amount of money I get from selling eggs offsets the cost of buying meat from the local organic farmers I buy meat from. (KC Buffalo Co./ Benedict Builders Family Farm/ Heartland Longhorn Beef). 3-4 dozen eggs = 1 whole organic free range chicken, or 1 2# arm roast, or 2# of ground beef or pork, etc. 7 hens should provide plenty of eggs for 2 people for up to 5 years... at which point... I will begin renewing the flock, and harvesting the older birds for their meat.

For me, it's about understanding and respecting the actual value and natural availability of food. That's all.


p.s. So you sell hens after 2 years to people who want layers after you've burned through their most productive seasons, and then ask me why I would want to pay for food for less eggs? Huh... that's interesting.