My success story on how I got my hens to lay.

[Farrelly]

Hi, This is my first post, so please try to be nice.

Before, I was getting 1 maybe 2 eggs a day. This is from 13 hens!! Then, after searching this site for various solutions, I read somewhere that they might not be getting enough light. This was the answer!!

Chickens need 14-15 hours of light ( I think ) and when the light goes in through their eyes, it reaches a gland in the back of their neck. This spurs their egg production.

About 4 days later, 3 eggs appeared in their nest. This gradually wen't up to 6. We then noticed 5 eggs outside. We decided to trim the nettles down and we discovered 2 more nests with a combined 25 eggs!!

Now we are up to 11 eggs a day and we just bought 4 lohman hens

So really, Make sure their is sufficent light out with the chickens and always check outside for eggs!!

Forgot to mention, on the light note, If you put a news paper level with the chickens eye level and you can read it then you have enough light but if you can't read it then there is insufficient light.

 

[TexasToucan]

Good advice, and welcome from another New Egg.

 

[Nicole01]

Hello and welcome to BYC! I'm so happy to hear you found a solution to your decreased egg production. There are many of us who are new at raising chickens. I'm not sure what breeds you have or what your current sunlight is. We are just heading into winter and egg production will surly decrease due to lack of light.

 

[TexasToucan]

Here in South Central Texas, egg production starts going up this time of year. The girls really struggle through the summer heat. Starting today, the highs are expected to be below 100 degrees (probably only 99). Sigh...... Some days I miss living in Alaska.

 

[geekgurl]

Congrats on the increase in eggs! And....

 

[poseygrace]

Wow, that's great advice, especially about making sure they aren't in a super shaded area where they aren't getting any natural direct sunlight. Here in Georgia, sunlight and heat are plentiful, but I will keep the 14-15 hour thing in mind for the winter!

 

[Farrelly]

Quote:
We have 8 sussex, 2 silkies, 2 australorpe and now 4 Lohmann 1-2 weeks from laying.

 

[Farrelly]

Quote:
Ours were in a shed with very little light, thats why. Also, I forgot to put it in, if u put newspaper to chickens eye level and u can read it, then there's enough light. If you can't read it, there's not enough.

 

[Ole rooster]

Am I learning? What's a nettle?

 

[ECBW]

Something are not adding up. The lack of light is a winter condition. You said your flock was in a shed with very little light. Do you mean that they do not get to leave the closed-in shed? Why not install a window? It would save you electrical $$.