question about lighting for the winter

[Eggcessive]

Respectfully disagreeing, I don't think it's an old wives' tale about a limited number of eggs because human females only have a limited number in their lives too.

 

[cravenchx]

I think Mother Nature knows best...
but I don't know if she knows about
chickens in Alaska!

 

[mstrrlm]

Quote:
Impossible If I remember right reading a hen has like 4000 eggs when she is born along spine I think or in that area! So they would have to lay a WHOLE bunch of eggs to run out in there lifetime.

 

[mstrrlm]

Quote:
Hens need 8 hours of rest a night just provide that and you can help to maximize egg production in winter.

 

[karlamaria]

we plan to light the coop at 5:00 am and shut it off by 8:00 am so they have 8-10 good hours of light. we also plan on a heat lamp to. winters here are harsh at times, a little light and heat lamp will keep our girls comfortable in 30 below weather.

 

[Cindy in PA]

I had a Barred Rock in my first batch almost 20 years ago & I always used 14 hours of light. She laid her last egg a few days before she died at almost 9 years old. Guess without the light she would have lived to 20, but I was Ok with what she did! She was the only "pet" saved over the years.

 

[sharol]

Last winter I put a 20 watt full spectrum flourscent fixture in my coop and put it on a timer. It came on at about 5:30 or 6 and stayed on until about 7 in the evening. My theory was that they would get used to it and come in and get settled in time not to be caught off the roost.

They started laying the beginning of December and I had eggs all winter. Most days I got 4 or 5 from the 6 that were laying (one never laid -- died of reproductive complications this summer). They are taking a bit of a break in the heat (100+ up to 116 since the beginning of July) and I'm just now getting back to 3 or 4 a day.

I have 5 more girls that are 18 weeks old and moving into the main coop this weekend after the heat breaks (please, break, like the weatherman says it will). I'm expecting to start getting eggs from them in a month or so. In theory, about the time the others start to moult. We'll see how that works out.

 

[Pharm Girl]

Quote:
I did the same thing this year. Cycled the big and little to cover the moult. I always thought I was putting a light in the coop because I had a red heat light in there. Then I found out they don't see red. LOL. I really don't know how you all are standing this heat! It has barely gotten over 90 maybe twice this summer in Oregon. I guess I'll quit complaining about the crappy rainy winters in lieu of pleasant summers. I'd melt in that heat. No fun. Hope it cools down for you and everyone!

 

[sharol]

I'm in eastern Kansas, and we usually have a few 100 degree days, but this has been ridiculous. I have 2 misters on the chickens (with a sunscreen to make a swamp cooler), and between that and watering a garden, my water bill has been crazy. It is supposed to break tomorrow and then in the low 80's next week. We are all gonna freeze

Quote:
I did the same thing this year. Cycled the big and little to cover the moult. I always thought I was putting a light in the coop because I had a red heat light in there. Then I found out they don't see red. LOL. I really don't know how you all are standing this heat! It has barely gotten over 90 maybe twice this summer in Oregon. I guess I'll quit complaining about the crappy rainy winters in lieu of pleasant summers. I'd melt in that heat. No fun. Hope it cools down for you and everyone!