Light in the coop

[Yello]

My girls are about a month away from laying age (20 weeks I'm told). The days are getting shorter here in Northern Wisconsin. I keep a red heat light on at night in the coop and want to put a white light in there on a timer to extend their day light for laying. When would be the optimal time to do this? Right away or wait until they closer to laying age? Thanks ahead for comments!

 

[hmmcc123]

I'm no expert but I think you should do it now. Doing it now gets their internal egg laying clock working with the added artificial lighting. Good luck!

 

[LT]

I am not an expert either, but I have read on here that it is best to add the light early in the morning rather than extending their day. So probably 5am would be ideal because sunrise is around 7:15 right now I think. Check your local time.

 

[boxermom]

My coop light goes on at 0400 and turns off around 2:00 p.m. I have found, even with the light that if the hens haven't started to lay yet, they will wait until spring. I didn't get my first green egg until the next spring. My orpingtons were laying, so they continued to do so. EE's the same age waited.

 

[Illia]

You really don't need extra lights for pullets under the age of 1 year old. They will lay through the winter, trust me.

 

[Dutchess]

Quote:
If you extend their day in the evening hours, there's a chance of them not being ready to roost when the light turns off. Morning hours seem to be the best way to add the light hours.

 

[vitpsu]

My 8 brown leghorns are about a month from laying age. I'd like to let them wait until spring. Can I keep them from laying by not supplying artifical light?

 

[MomToTheZoo]

Quote:
Thanks for that. I was on the fence with my almost 20 weekers.
Since we are in the same neck of the woods (across the sound) do you find we need the light in the Fall Winter months for older than a year?

 

[coldupnorth]

My pullets started laying in November last year and laid throughout the winter in Northern Minnesota. They didn't seem to need an extra light, but were a little later to lay (around 25 weeks). They did get extra light when it got really cold, because we had to put a heatlamp in their coop.