Still no eggs...

[Banriona]

Chickens are very photosensitive, and many need a minimum of 14-16 hours of light a day to lay well. More than 18 hours will actually slow down egg production, and light 24/7 will cause lots of stress and possibly cannibalism. All animals must have a dark period each day for their bodies to function properly. http://umaine.edu/publications/2227e/ is a good discussion on poultry lighting for all stages of a bird's life.

I have not seen any research that shows that the chickens' life span will be affected by supplementary lighting, although here is an interview with an avian vet that says it does not: http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/09/supplemental-light-in-coop-why-how.html.

There is a possibility (I've not seen any research one way or the other) that the hens will stop laying at an earlier age if they have lighting in the winter. It seems like it is basically a choice between getting most of your eggs in the first 2-3 years or spreading that number of eggs out over more years. Hens, like humans, have a finite number of ova and so you can't make a hen lay more eggs than her body is hatched with. For those of us who keep chickens for egg production (not just as "pets with benefits") and replace them at 2-3 years, it ABSOLUTELY makes sense to use supplementary lighting.

I have some broody hens that are going on five years old, and they still look great even though they have supplemental lighting every winter. I have no idea how well they lay, as there's no way with my flock to really know who lays what, when, but that's not why I keep them around, anyway.

Anyway, whether or not you provide lighting in the winter seems to be a personal choice, dictated by economics (you willing to buy eggs all winter while still feeding hens?) and personal choices about the hens' lives (do you feel like the hens need a break every winter, for longer than their natural moult period?). My hens moult every fall, and get their rest then. As soon as I see them moulting, I turn on the lights for a bit longer every week until we're up to 15 hours of light. Most of my flock lays right through the winter, which pays for their feed. For me, there is no other choice. You'll have to make up your own mind.

Thank you for this info! Clarifies a lot of questions for me. Outside of breeders I don't plan on keeping my flock off the dinner table longer than 1-2 years anyway, but I didn't get them to be pets. Solar seems to be the way to go for me since I don't have electricity at the coop - and can't afford to run it the 300' or so from the house. Can't see it being cost effective to spend that much money running power to the coop when the only thing it's needed for is winter lighting. Maybe if we had more severe winters it would make sense, but not for my location. This year I'll probably just do the solar string lights, but next year I want a system in place that I can set to certain times (on a couple hours after dusk and again a couple hours before dawn). We had an awesome lighting system for our saltwater aquarium that was set to several stages of lighting (dawn-daylight-dusk-moonlight). I'd like to do that for the chickens if I can get it solar powered. If I remember right though, that lighting setup was 300-600 and the bulbs alone are $60 a piece. I'm hoping in the drier environment of the coop vs. fish tank it will last a bit longer.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Thank you for this info! Clarifies a lot of questions for me. Outside of breeders I don't plan on keeping my flock off the dinner table longer than 1-2 years anyway, but I didn't get them to be pets. Solar seems to be the way to go for me since I don't have electricity at the coop - and can't afford to run it the 300' or so from the house. Can't see it being cost effective to spend that much money running power to the coop when the only thing it's needed for is winter lighting. Maybe if we had more severe winters it would make sense, but not for my location. This year I'll probably just do the solar string lights, but next year I want a system in place that I can set to certain times (on a couple hours after dusk and again a couple hours before dawn). We had an awesome lighting system for our saltwater aquarium that was set to several stages of lighting (dawn-daylight-dusk-moonlight). I'd like to do that for the chickens if I can get it solar powered. If I remember right though, that lighting setup was 300-600 and the bulbs alone are $60 a piece. I'm hoping in the drier environment of the coop vs. fish tank it will last a bit longer.

Your solar string lights on a simple battery powered timer would be a heck of a lot cheaper.

 

[Banriona]

Your solar string lights on a simple battery powered timer would be a heck of a lot cheaper.

Granted. Still working on it, not in a huge rush as the girls aren't even due to reach pol until late winter this year. Where would I find a battery powered timer anyway? I'm totally NOT electrically inclined - and even less so when it comes to solar powered anything.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Granted. Still working on it, not in a huge rush as the girls aren't even due to reach pol until late winter this year. Where would I find a battery powered timer anyway? I'm totally NOT electrically inclined - and even less so when it comes to solar powered anything.

Hm, maybe they don't really exist. That stinks. Not sure how you'd get solar lights on a timer.

However, we ran electrical service from the barn to the chicken coop and it cost us about $50. Of course, we did all the trenching and wiring ourselves, so that $50 was just for wire, conduit, and outlets. Do you have any friends who are good with this kind of stuff, maybe? The wiring was easy--the trenching was the killer.

 

[Akountz]

Check Home Depot or Lowes or your local hardware store for solar landscaping lights. Some come with built in timers. Mine has a switch for all night or a few hours. I use the "few hours" setting. (Its a 6 hour setting but the light doesn't last that long). Also, they have a cable (varies) to let you put the light in the coop and the panel outside. I also have a solar powered chicken door. I found it on-line. It was a complete unit that mounted easily over the existing opening. Its a great time saver and since our flock goes into the coop at night so, I don't have to go up the hill to put them in at dark. I set the timer for a half hour after sunset. The door is light enough not to harm the birds if it closes on them. The door is about $350 (door, solar panel, motor and timer). Expensive but worth it.

 

[rachelmiles1974]

I bought my first 4 chickens last Friday, and was told that they are all laying eggs already. But I haven't even seen one yet. Also, they are terrified to go outside. I have a huge yard and want them to be free range, but they refuse to leave the barn. AND one of the chickens is a bully. I have seen her not let others eat as well as peck at them to kick them out of a spot. Here are my chicken problems... Any advice? I spent a good amount of money on these chickens already, and now I'm feeling pretty discouraged.

 

[rachelmiles1974]

I got a 4yr old hen that had not been handled and was never free ranged.I kept her for a month in a cage,small one and at first she would go crazy when you opened her door,but over time she got better,then i spent a few week carrying her to an out door cage,till I finally started letting her free range.she now takes bread from me out side.it does take time.also she did not lay for over a month and now she does like a champ!

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

I bought my first 4 chickens last Friday, and was told that they are all laying eggs already. But I haven't even seen one yet. Also, they are terrified to go outside. I have a huge yard and want them to be free range, but they refuse to leave the barn. AND one of the chickens is a bully. I have seen her not let others eat as well as peck at them to kick them out of a spot. Here are my chicken problems... Any advice? I spent a good amount of money on these chickens already, and now I'm feeling pretty discouraged.

Give them time. They are in a new place, and scared. It's completely normal for hens to stop laying for a few weeks after they're moved to a new home. Leave the barn door open every day, and in time they will go out and explore. In a month I bet you'll be surprised by how comfortable they are in their new home.

As for the bully, I can't quite tell if she has a behavior problem or she's just the alpha hen. The alpha hen in a flock gets to eat when she wants to, and gets the best roosting and dustbathing spots. In a chicken society, those rules are enforced by pecking. As long as she isn't doing damage to the rest of the flock and they get to eat (even if not exactly when they want to) then I wouldn't worry about it. If she is drawing blood or the other hens aren't getting food, then I'd put her in a dog crate away from the others for a week. When you put her back, she will be at the bottom of the pecking order and it might modify her behavior a bit.

 

[houseofknauss]

I agree with sunshine- new place throws their system off and chickens are curious, they will make their way around--- you can always take a couple and pick them up out of the barn and set them down 50 feet away and let them get use to things. they will run back to the barn but their curiosity will get the best of them!

 

[cluckinalong]

I'm an old hand at chickens but I'm completely stumped! I had one old hateful hen who has seen her faithful egg laying come to a halt.
Being widowed, I decided I DO want a hen or two. So, I got two 4H pullets the first part of Sept. I got an egg a day for 3 days and then 1 a day sporadically.
I have gotten 3 'Fart Eggs' this week and a normal one today. They are enclosed but have a good size outdoor run (2 chain link dog pens end to end, covered with mesh to prevent air borne threats away.). They have an entire barn stall as their house. There are 3 roomy nests inside and 1 out under a covered 'loafing' area.
What in the heck could be wrong?
Feed is too expensive and water too hard to carry to these loafers.