I've been freezing my hiney off for nothing...

[Uzuri]

So I was running a light to get the hens up to at least 12 hours of light. It's solar, and Dad and I just haven't gotten around to rigging a timer for it, so I have to turn it on and off. One of the two isn't too bad, since it's done during daylight, but when I've got to run out in the dark either in the wee hours or late at night to pull that string... brr!

Anyway, where I was going with this... the hens have been off extra light for about 5 nights, since it's been cold enough that I decided keeping the door shut and the draft out when the outside temp was nearing the lows was better for them than trying to muck with the light. And OK, I'm tired of going out in the dark in the single digits, too. So sue me

Laying pattern for the last 5 days? 1 3 2 0 2 (probable 2 on that last one; had one this morning and someone laying when I left). Laying pattern before pulling the light? 2 0 2 1 2.

Clearly my hens have not read the same material on laying and lighting and temperature as I have. Derned chickens.

 

[joedie]

Mine did not respond to the extra light so I stopped doing it and get the same amount of eggs!. It seems that the cold effects them more but not by much. I don't bother, it's too cold here too!

 

[CARS]

I don't think you can gain anything by just adding additional light on the shortest days of the year and expect it to work overnight.
I have light on 14 hours a day, 365 days a year. They know what they are getting this way. Yours maybe think something is wrong. They don't like change.

With that being said, all but a few of the 30 hens I have stopped laying. It's been sub-zero here for weeks and they are just concentrating on keeping warm.

 

[Uzuri]

They've been getting 12 hrs light since the equinox, not just randomly in the middle of winter. I'm not that stupid.

 

[Ridgerunner]

If I remember right, your chickens are fairly young, like hatched in 2009? I find that a lot of pullets (not all, off course) keep laying the first fall/winter whether they have extra light or not. A lot more hens will stop laying in their second laying season when they don't have extra light. Of course the older hens tend to molt in the fall/winter too where young pullets just starting to lay probably will not have a severe molt. Nothing cast in stone since they are all different.

Mine were hatched in mid-May. I have 9 pullets. My eggs since the first of the year (with no additional lights) has been 6, 8, 5, 4, 7.

 

[Uzuri]

Yep, spring chickens

So maybe that's it.

In which case, the heck with the light for this year, and a timer goes on my to-do list for next year

 

[gritsar]

I agree with Ridge. Besides, the days are getting longer now anyhow. Okay, it's just a few minutes longer each day, but they are getting longer.

 

[CARS]

Quote:

I didn't mean to imply anything. I don't know where you live so I don't have a clue how much natural light you have. Sorry.

 

[Uzuri]

Quote:

I didn't mean to imply anything. I don't know where you live so I don't have a clue how much natural light you have. Sorry.

Actually, I should be the one apologizing. Having a grumpy day here. Should stick to growling at my rooster rather than the people on the boards XD

 

[darkroo]

Longer is always better