laying, laying, laying.

[7littlebirds]

Hi!
I have six hens, three White Orpingtons, two Rhode Island Reds, and one Black Star. They are around 9 months old and have laid like pros all summer. But now I am really wishing that they would stop and take a rest this winter! They are supposed to right? I know it's weird because most people have such a tough time keeping them laying.
It gets very, very cold every night here. So I leave a red heat lamp on over their perches so they will stay warm under it. (I know that is what people use to keep them laying but I thought maybe it was better since it is a lot dimmer...) They have never been through a night without a light which I think may be a mistake now.
They live in the barn in a stall that we covered completely with heavy wire. So it is really drafty. So how can I get them to stop laying, but keep them warm and not scared?

Thanks!

 

[Judy]

They need to be in a draft free area but they do not need a heat lamp. Their laying will slow down or not, depending on their own individual constitutions. Some of mine lay all winter and some do not. Here are two excellent articles about warmth, drafts and ventilation:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/winter-coop-temperatures

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...-go-out-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop

 

[Smoochie]

I would just keep the light on the rest of the season. They will be fine in the barn.

 

[Smoochie]

And most production hens lay through winter their first season and may slow down the next..and even more their third year.