Light or no light

[EliteTempleton]

Quote:
Good point! I would guess that the only added stress would be dealing with the cold. And the light would help heat the coop, plus if I keep them outside this winter I plan on getting a next box heater.

Oh, for me if they don't keep up the laying once they start they are getting light this first winter. Next year I will probably welcome a slowdown of eggs.

 

[EliteTempleton]

Ok, after reading that article I am leaning much closer to natural light now myself...

 

[luckychic]

I have a friend with sexlinks and she had lower egg production, but it did not come to a halt.

I have heard from people who have been raising chickens for a long, long time that chickens don't live much longer after their egg production has ceased. So when they have made all the eggs they can they usually die. So, I give my girls a break in the winter.

The other thing I've heard, and read about is that chickens aclimate themselves to winter. If constant artificial heat source is used and something happens to that source - chickens would not be ready for the cold and it could cause some serious problems.

Just some thing to consider and do more researching about before deciding on altering mother nature.

Cynthia

 

[BayCityBabe]

I am leaning toward giving my birds a couple of extra hours of light. I live in Michigan. Sometimes our dark winter days seem unending, like pitch black from 4p.m. - 7a.m., dark grey from 7a.m.-9a.m., and overcast the rest. I figure I won't wear my girls out if I give them half the light the Southern birds enjoy all year.

 

[cyrixlord]

I live in Washington State and i'll opt to let nature take it course. I'm not that bent out for eggs and if I need a lot for baking i'll just bake on the weekends and save up during the week .