lights in the coop in winter

[raggie6653]

if you have no lights will the hen not lay eggs

 

[chicmom]

Wintertime means alot less daylight, and hens need quite a bit of daylight hours in order to lay eggs. You will probably still get a few eggs, but production is usually way down, depending on where your location is. Here in Ohio, it's already starting to get dark earlier, and I've noticed with my flock that production is down a bit. I read where, for peak production, your hens should have 12 to 14 hours of daylight. (That includes artificial light.)

Last year, my husband rigged up some heat lamps for my chickens, and it didn't take long for the gals to begin laying a bit more. We used some heavy duty, outdoor extension cords last year, but this year we've had the electricity installed. Alot of people use timers, so the lights are set automatically.

Hope this info helps!

Sharon