Is there any tips that encourage laying in the winter?

[tillybilly]

Hello!

Just wondering if there are any tips for encouraging laying in the winter, I only get about an egg a week and I have 34 chickens.

 

[nuthatched]

Lights. That's all hormones, hormones that control laying are activated by 14+hours of daylight.
This is a natural break, it's normal.
They shouldn't be eating Lauer when they aren't laying, I'd see if you can find a nice chick or all flock or grower.

 

[tillybilly]

Yes, I do need lights for sure! We need solar though because we don't have power out there.

Thank you though, I'll for sure look into this!

Also, my flock varies from older hens who may not be laying and pullets who haven't even started yet. I honestly am looking forward to this spring when the younger ones start laying.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Agree, not to feed layer formula when you have non-layers in your flock. Layer feed contains calcium which can be really hard on the kidneys of non-layers. So if you have non-laying pullets, old retired hens, males, or molting birds - none of those need layer feed. Instead, as @nuthatched said, provide an all-flock type formula but set out oyster shell in a separate container, and the laying hens will help themselves to what they need while others will ignore it.

 

[aart]

We need solar though because we don't have power out there.

Unless you have a robust solar system with lots of panels and especially battery storage, and a timer(essential), solar won't work for supplemental lighting.

 

[tillybilly]

Today I bought some straw and they seem to be loving it! They all were scraping and sitting in it, so maybe we'll be expecting a few eggs.

Also, thank you everyone! I will for sure look into everything!

 

[CityChicken1984]

Hello!

Just wondering if there are any tips for encouraging laying in the winter, I only get about an egg a week and I have 34 chickens.

I only have 3 RIR’s, live in Cleveland,OH. When winter hit the really slowed down, maybe 1-2 a day…some days none. I switched their feed to kalmbach hen house reserve and have been fermenting it. I also throw in dried meal worms every evening. After a week or two I started getting2-3 eggs a day, most days it is all 3, even on the days where temp with windchill was 15-20 below zero. I don’t use any artificial light so I’m guessing the feed is doing it, whether it’s the feed it’s self, the fermentation, or the protein from the meal worms?? Not sure but it’s working out

 

[Altairsky]

Breeds matter.
When a chicken is molting, she won't lay no matter what.
As for hens that are not molting, light will force them to lay. However I prefer to follow nature's cycles, for my bird's health.
The hens that are allowed to go broody and raise chicks will stop laying in summer and then lay more in winter. I always let a few hen breed also for this reason. Adding a few new pullets every year will also increase winter production since pullets start laying in winter.
One of my pullets (an EE) right now is laying every day for 10+ days in a row before taking a 1 day break. Old hens went broody and paused in summer, now they are molting but they layd regularly till Xmas.