Northern Hemisphere chicken keepers. Hang in there.

[Demarvell]

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

2nd winter, and still hardly molted. Golden Sex Links. Great chickens, and they have a well insulated coop, a really nice run, and i spoil them occasionally. They also eat out kitchen scraps, and occasionally I give them Black Fly larva. I also keep them out of the wind in the run itself. They were hatched in April of 2023.

 

[Etiene]

Someone said on here I think to use a red led light. I found a led bulb enclosed in plastic 4 watt at ace hardware.its the size of a floodlight. I run it from 5am until sunrise and 4pm till 8pm 8 hens over a year and 16 hatched this year. I get 11 to 19 eggs a day now try it you will like it!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I am not an early riser. Repeat, italics, underline, bold, NOT. So my birds get their supplemental light in the evening. I started after the last bird finished molting but I can't tell you exactly when that was. About two months ago. I was getting two or three eggs at that time out of 19 possible layers (4 or 5 are over 3 years old). I am now getting 8 to 10 eggs/ day which I'm happy with. Most of my layers are April 2024 pullets although some may be a year old. I'm only adding two hours of light so their "day" is 12 hours long.

 

[Bawkbok]

Does supplemental light help if they are already laying or will it help for pullets not yet laying. Ours are between 8-10 months old, not one egg yet. They are certainly all old enough - astralorpe and orpington - I don't expect anything from the red sex link as we believe she is reproductively fubar. Should I try supplemental light now?
Also, the Golden Comet has decided it's time to molt - feathers all over, she looks shabby. Why now? It's getting cold here, by FL standards. Just let nature take it's course and wait patiently for eggs next spring? Insight appreciated.

 

[Ted Brown]

I am ending my 2nd week of supplemental light (1st time in 6 winters); timer based - on early morning off at 7:30am. current intent is 14 hours/day.

Both June 2024 pullets and older in flock of 24 hens; getting eggs from 2, a Barred Rock and a pullet, every couple of days. Pullet started after 1 week supplemental.

Chanteclers, Barred Rock, Maran mixes.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Does supplemental light help if they are already laying or will it help for pullets not yet laying. Ours are between 8-10 months old, not one egg yet. They are certainly all old enough - astralorpe and orpington - I don't expect anything from the red sex link as we believe she is reproductively fubar. Should I try supplemental light now?
Also, the Golden Comet has decided it's time to molt - feathers all over, she looks shabby. Why now? It's getting cold here, by FL standards. Just let nature take it's course and wait patiently for eggs next spring? Insight appreciated.

Supplemental light certainly won't hurt and might help. I'd do it but it's up to you.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Does supplemental light help if they are already laying

If it stops them thinking the days are getting shorter, it can prevent a molt and keep them laying. If they are already laying you do not need to make the days longer, just stop them from getting shorter.

will it help for pullets not yet laying.

Probably if you make them think the days are getting longer. Keeping the days the same length is not that much help. This is not something that is a 100%, absolute, no question about it thing. It is something that can improve your odds quite a bit but does not come with a guarantee.

Should I try supplemental light now?

You can if you want. It is after the winter equinox, your days in Florida are getting longer. Right now that increase is pretty slow but it will speed up as you get later in the new year. I have no idea when your pullets will start laying if you let nature take her course. I have no idea how many it will kick-start into laying in the next few weeks if you extend the lights.

Also, the Golden Comet has decided it's time to molt - feathers all over, she looks shabby. Why now?

Even if I knew something about your golden comet and your circumstances I would not know. People like to think this is all cookbook, every chicken in the world will react exactly the same. It doesn't work that way. I've had pullets start laying the first week of December more than once and I use natural light, no supplements. The day were short and still getting shorter which goes against the "rules". Chickens molt at any time of the year, not just in the fall when days are getting shorter. Different things can trigger a molt, not just the days getting shorter. Maybe it shows how complex they really are.

 

[Bawkbok]

If it stops them thinking the days are getting shorter, it can prevent a molt and keep them laying. If they are already laying you do not need to make the days longer, just stop them from getting shorter.


Probably if you make them think the days are getting longer. Keeping the days the same length is not that much help. This is not something that is a 100%, absolute, no question about it thing. It is something that can improve your odds quite a bit but does not come with a guarantee.


You can if you want. It is after the winter equinox, your days in Florida are getting longer. Right now that increase is pretty slow but it will speed up as you get later in the new year. I have no idea when your pullets will start laying if you let nature take her course. I have no idea how many it will kick-start into laying in the next few weeks if you extend the lights.


Even if I knew something about your golden comet and your circumstances I would not know. People like to think this is all cookbook, every chicken in the world will react exactly the same. It doesn't work that way. I've had pullets start laying the first week of December more than once and I use natural light, no supplements. The day were short and still getting shorter which goes against the "rules". Chickens molt at any time of the year, not just in the fall when days are getting shorter. Different things can trigger a molt, not just the days getting shorter. Maybe it shows how complex they really are.

Thanks for your reply. This is our first winter with chickens and first experience with a molt, so new experiences all around. I know one thing - as each day goes by with chickens and the more I learn and read - the less I know.

 

[Bawkbok]

Supplemental light certainly won't hurt and might help. I'd do it but it's up to you.

What kind of light do you recommend?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I know one thing - as each day goes by with chickens and the more I learn and read - the less I know.

After all of these years I still feel that way. But it is a great journey.