Keeping up winter egg production?

[yodelinginca]

I have a flock of 5 hens, all 9 months old. They were laying an average of 3-4 eggs a day, but have now slowed to 1-2 a day. I've heard this is due to changes in the amount of daylight. Are there methods to keep them laying throughout the winter (we're in CA central coast, so mild weather relatively speaking), and if so is it detrimental to their health to keep them laying year round?

 

[Chickassan]

You can supplement light if you really wanted to but personally I think it is healthier to let them have a break.
In the end it is your choice, you know your birds better than anyone.

 

[FredsGobblers]

Supplementing light to give them 12-14 hours of light will help them to lay. Doing so will shorten the number of years a chicken will lay. So instead of laying good up to 4 years they may start quitting to lay in their 3rd year. I also do not give added light to my chickens so they get a break in the winter. As stated by chickassan it is a personal choice.

 

[Cindy in PA]

I have never seen any evidence that lighting makes them quit laying sooner. Most chickens will be long gone before they run out of eggs. I light every year & have had hens laying at 8 years old. Hens are hatched with more eggs then they will ever lay.

 

[aart]

Using lights can (not guaranteed) degrade the health of a bird.
As long as they get a break to molt they'll be much better off.
Can depend on the breed how they react to the light.

 

[Cindy in PA]

Lighting has never kept my birds from molting. I never think that people are asking about keeping their birds from molting, when they ask about lighting, it does not go hand in hand when done correctly. Since the boom in chickens in 2008, things have gotten too complicated & weird.

 

[aart]

Lighting has never kept my birds from molting. I never think that people are asking about keeping their birds from molting, when they ask about lighting, it does not go hand in hand when done correctly. Since the boom in chickens in 2008, things have gotten too complicated & weird.

It did here the first two years, but I changed how I did it, left them at about 12 hours all year then bump them up about now once the hens are done molting.

when done correctly

Might want to share, in detail, exactly how you do it correctly.
Maybe in an article so we can all share the info easily?

 

[cmom]

I do have night lights in all of my coops. I think the breed makes a difference too. My Leghorns seem to lay well consistently. They may have a slow down a little when they molt but never completely stop. They are my best layers. Right now we are having colder than average weather and all of the other breeds I have are laying few eggs but the Leghorns are going strong.

 

[B-Goock]

I've done it both ways. Currently mine aren't laying and with eggs being cheaper to buy than raise I just don't worry about it.

When I used light they continued laying at a reduced rate but with temps dropping into the 20's I lost alot of eggs to freezing.

 

[cmom]

I've done it both ways. Currently mine aren't laying and with eggs being cheaper to buy than raise I just don't worry about it.

When I used light they continued laying at a reduced rate but with temps dropping into the 20's I lost alot of eggs to freezing.

I have a friend who lives in Alaska and especially in the winter when she gets home from work and collects the eggs they are frozen and she puts them in her freezer and uses them as needed. I have frozen eggs. They will crack but as long as they are frozen they are ok. You can always stick them in a sandwich bag then in the freezer.