Need suggestions for Winter Egg Laying (Lighting)

[Farmin Armen]

I don't have power at the coop. Currently have solar powered flood lights for the night time (dusk to dawn). It works... but has anyone used solar powered lights strong enough to use as supplement lighting for sustained egg laying throughout the winter? Is there a simple product that I can purchase from the internet?

 

[aart]

The key would be to have the right amount of collection panels and power storage to insure that you could provide consistent lighting for 12-14 hours a day.
That's if you live somewhere that gets copious sunlight all winter.
Another aspect that might be difficult is a timer that works with 12v solar setups.
I seriously doubt that there's anything off the shelf.

Here's a pretty good article on supplemental lighting

@U_Stormcrow knows quite a bit about solar power.

 

[Farmin Armen]

Well, you brought me back to reality. I totally forgot that I need sunlight to supplement with light... lol. What a conundrum. So this is going to be harder than I thought. I would need a lot of panels to collect any light, presuming that I don't have any overcast - that's a stretch even just hoping. So at this point, I need to figure out doing the right thing, running power via trench out to the coop.. . . ..

 

[dekel18042]

Well, you brought me back to reality. I totally forgot that I need sunlight to supplement with light... lol. What a conundrum. So this is going to be harder than I thought. I would need a lot of panels to collect any light, presuming that I don't have any overcast - that's a stretch even just hoping. So at this point, I need to figure out doing the right thing, running power via trench out to the coop.. . . ..

The best way to get sustained winter laying is to have young hens (Adding a few chicks each spring can help along with choosing breeds that are known for their egg laying.
Just yesterday I had one pullet of three(that are one breed) starting to lay and I have three more that should come of age any time after late December. Already it looks like one of these youngest has a comb that is reddening up which means I have a total of seven well under a year plus eleven more that were a late supper hatch so they may start laying in January.
Plus some of the girls who were molting are just starting to lay again (Yaaah, I'm getting blue eggs.)

 

[Mrs. K]

Add young birds, and preserve eggs when they are plenty is my goal to get through the short days of winter. I too, do not have electricity for my coop.

I have two pullets hatched in spring of 2023, that are laying sporadically now, if it is just my husband and I, enough for breakfast a couple of days a week. I have 4 more that hatched in August and am hopeful January will start them.

I do a lot of cooking for my large family, having eggs preserved for that will help be out. Much cheaper than connecting electricity to my coop.

Mrs K

 

[Folly's place]

We have a cable that runs from our workshop about 100' to the coop. It's set up by an electrician, with outlets and lighting at the coop, all up to code. This is to satisfy our farm insurance policy, don't want a 'too bad, not covered' event here!
Steel wrapped cable (it comes that way0 in a trench two feet deep (code here) and works great. Unfrozen winter waterers, light on a timer 4am to 8am every morning, lights on with switches when I need them.
Messing with electricity, doing it less optimally, and having a fire, not good.
Mary

 

[RebelFord81]

My Pap always told me winter was Nature's way of giving the girls a vacation lol we always got a few spring peeps to cover the deficit in the cold months from the big hens . I have 5 hens and 9 pullets right now my big girls are molting hard and not laying, my pullets are all just starting to lay this is my first week finally getting more then maybe 1-2 eggs a week I'm pumped lol we never added additional lighting or heat to any coop we have had in the 40+ years I've been on this plant

 

[Penpal]

You can get a battery powered light and turn it on for one hour, then turn it off. Manually. When adding that extra hour isn't enough light, bring the light into the house and let them rest. My birds always started laying again in mid February.

 

[rayed]

Some solar lights come with adjustable timers, allowing you to set the duration of light exposure. This can be helpful in mimicking natural daylight hours.