No sign of any winter change!

[Fussy8]

I have been told a lot that when the winter hits my hens will begin slowing down and even STOP laying because of the short winter hours and not enough light!!! WELL I have not seen a change!! Utah has had a very non snowy season but the day light hours are less... is this a good, GREAT, or really bad thing?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!??

 

[Happy Chooks]

You will not notice much change with chickens in their first laying season. After that, you'll see a HUGE change as they quit laying and molt.

I have 20 girls of laying age (varying ages) and only 5 are laying. 3 of those are pullets in their first year.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Yes indeed. THAT.

I have two pens of first year pullets that are laying up a storm with only 12 hours of sunlight/supplement combination.

The older hens are laying now and then.

 

[Fierlin1182]

Or, do you have sex links? My RSLs have never slowed down across their several years of laying, not even during winter. They're little troopers.

 

[Mahonri]

for us, they lay awesome in the winter... it's June-September when they quit laying here when ave. temps go over 105... and I even have an AC unit in my coop!

 

[ChikenNugget]

I have the same situation here. If anything, mine are laying MORE lately. I am 3 hours south of Montreal. Days are gettin' short!

 

[Fred's Hens]

Quote:
No, they're getting longer now!!! We're past the solstice. Golly, we've probably gained back a whole minute since the darkest day on the 21st.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Agreed. I am still getting 8 to 10 eggs a day from one coop with 13 pullets/hens, but this is the pullets first winter and the older hens in that coop have finished their molts and have started laying again.

 

[AkMartine]

I live in Utah too, and my two red sex-link pullets are still laying, but the other three (two australorps and an ameraucana) have just about completely stopped. The red sex-links and the australorps are all the same age, they'll be a year old in April. Is that normal?

 

[Happy Chooks]

Christmas present from my chicken.............my light brahma started back up from her molt!