Lighting confusion

[LondonChicken]

Hello! Sorry if this has been discussed already but I am so confused about how I should handle the daylight and artificial light. I need eggs throughout the winter so I am using artificial lighting. I have a timer set to come on at 2:30AM because they are going to sleep (roost) at 5ish PM. I was having the light come on at 4:30 but all egglaying stopped. When I pushed it back to 2:30, they went back to all laying after a few days.

Am I doing this right? I live in Eastern Kentucky.

Thank you!

 

[GC-Raptor]

I turn lights on at 5 am daily year-round.
My Hens ( over a year old) start to lay less when they get less than 13 hours of light. At 12.5 hours they really slow down and some start to molt.
My Pullets (less than a year old) continue to lay through winter with a sunset as early as 4:20.
So in my experience 13 to 14 hours of light is needed for Hens to continue laying.
My chickens have feed and water available when I turn on lights.

GC

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome!
Fourteen to sixteen hours of light daily is what's necessary. Here the light comes on from 3am to 7am every morning, and it works pretty well. I should extend the lighting another hour or so because it's still pretty dark at 7am!
Mary

 

[aart]

When I pushed it back to 2:30, they went back to all laying after a few days.
Am I doing this right? I live in Eastern Kentucky.

Sounds like it worked.
How old are your birds, in weeks or months?

Welcome to BYC! @LondonChicken
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[LondonChicken]

Hi! They are about 5.5 month old Leghorns.