Northern Hemisphere chicken keepers. Hang in there.

[aart]

Do you do it in the morning, evening or both?

In the mornings.
I live out in the boonies, so it doesn't bother anyone else, even when I had crowers.
Plus it just makes sense to let them to go to roost at natural dusk.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I didn't look, but I thought it was yesterday. Either way something to celebrate.

It was yesterday. I wrote it last night, maybe it was after midnight but it was still the 21st in my head.
Sorry for the confusion.

 

[AGeese]

Come summer I'll be like when are you guys going to bed...!

 

[townchicks]

I cannot wait for the longer days. Eggs will be nice, if they happen, ( older flock) but I hate the short days!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

In the mornings.
I live out in the boonies, so it doesn't bother anyone else, even when I had crowers.
Plus it just makes sense to let them to go to roost at natural dusk.

Yeah, I think that is the best way to go about it. It doesn't matter but I would rather them go to roost at twilight rather than be caught off guard when it goes dark.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Some pullets the right age and some hens that have completed the molt will start laying this time of the year, even on the shortest days of the year with no supplemental lights. I've had it happen, there are threads on here where others have had it happen. I think that is because we've domesticated them and messed up some of their instincts.

Often the days getting longer is a sign to them that it is time to start laying. It is not the length of the days that matters, it is the days getting longer. So if you supplement the lights to make the days get longer they are likely to start laying.

Do not expect them to lay immediately when you start supplementing lights. They have to make some changes internally before they can switch modes. They have to grow ova to a size to make yolks, that takes time. When they are not laying their internal plumbing related to laying is dried up. They need to make some changes to that to get it ready. So if you extend the days to get them to lay, be patient. It can still take them a few weeks.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Absolutely right @Ridgerunner. In nature, gallus gallus (red jungle fowl ancestor of modern chickens) only lays a clutch of eggs occasionally. Some breeds of gallus gallus domesticus (modern chickens) are egg machines. The pullets will start kicking out eggs on a schedule albeit still affected to a point by the day/night duration.

 

[Demarvell]

Today is the shortest day of the year. Short days detected by the pineal gland signal animals to curtail reproduction.
At my latitude, day length was 1 second shorter than yesterday and 3 seconds shorter than tomorrow, January 1 will be 39 seconds longer than the day before. By the end of January, each day will be 45 minutes longer than today. Light period will be 2 minutes longer per day than dark period. Hens at laying age but not producing may start in February. Daily change is greatest the third week of March.
Eggs are soon in your future.

I'm in Idaho. I have 9 hens and average 7 eggs a day. I do not supplement with extra light. Near Idaho falls, Idaho.
43°27'59.69" N -112°02'2.90" W

 

[aart]

I'm in Idaho. I have 9 hens and average 7 eggs a day. I do not supplement with extra light. Near Idaho falls, Idaho.
43°27'59.69" N -112°02'2.90" W

..and @Demarvell how old are your birds?
I imagine they are in their first winter of laying?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'm in Idaho. I have 9 hens and average 7 eggs a day. I do not supplement with extra light. Near Idaho falls, Idaho.
43°27'59.69" N -112°02'2.90" W

..and @Demarvell how old are your birds?
I imagine they are in their first winter of laying?

@aart 's question is the first that came to mind.
While chickens are chickens and having existed on this planet about a million years or so, they can't escape the hemeral lighting truth that is part of their DNA. Human intervention with highly selective breeding has created much more prolific animals. However, that special level of productivity doesn't continue year after year. About half of modern breed pullets will lay right through their first winter if they hatched early enough in the spring to reach point of lay before days shorten. That won't continue after the first autumn and winter. Second and subsequent autumns, they will molt and a dearth of eggs will follow until recovery from molt and usually, daily light period increases again.

Most people in their second autumn of chicken keeping are befuddled by the appearance of the aftermath of a pillow fight in their coop and the simultaneous drop in production.

You currently have less than 9 hours of light a day, alternatively over 15 hours of dark. You won't get over 10 hours light till February and won't reach an equilibrium till March 17. I'm glad you are experiencing fresh delicious eggs from your own backyard. Since you are, what I have stated won't matter to you till next year. But you may want to make a note of those numbers till then.