Supplemental lighting for pullets?

So those are contrary answers.

I did not think the pullets needed extra lighting to start laying, but my girlfriend is getting impatient. She wants eggs.
I also have adults in the coop, three of them were laying but slowed down to almost zero. Two other hens are retired.
Last year I did the supplemental lighting for 14 hours (yes, I increased slowly), but it did not make a difference with the adult hens’ laying.
So, that makes me think, the same adults won’t start to lay with the light on this year, so they will still get their break. Is that thinking correct?
Those aren't contrary answers, I don't think. You CAN use supplemental lighting to try and encourage laying (as Lady of McCamley says), or you can forego the light and let them take the natural route (as Tookie says).

It is my personal approach to not force the girls to do anything because I prefer them to live as naturally as possible and because they are not machines (except maybe my Leghorn). I would suggest your girlfriend be patient, but you can try the lighting. If your older hens are slowing down the extra light *may* not affect them.
 
Those aren't contrary answers, I don't think. You CAN use supplemental lighting to try and encourage laying (as Lady of McCamley says), or you can forego the light and let them take the natural route (as Tookie says).

It is my personal approach to not force the girls to do anything because I prefer them to live as naturally as possible and because they are not machines (except maybe my Leghorn). I would suggest your girlfriend be patient, but you can try the lighting. If your older hens are slowing down the extra light *may* not affect them.
They are contrary answers to MY original question, which was, does supplemental lighting make a difference, when it comes to when pullets start laying.
I know I CAN use the lighting, but I wanted to know if it would make a difference. @Tookie said, No, they don’t need it. Whereas @Lady of McCamley said now there will be a delay.
 
They are contrary answers to MY original question, which was, does supplemental lighting make a difference, when it comes to when pullets start laying.
I know I CAN use the lighting, but I wanted to know if it would make a difference. @Tookie said, No, they don’t need it. Whereas @Lady of McCamley said now there will be a delay.
I don't know much on supplemental light, I would just let them take their time in my opinion. I probably shouldn't have said anything.
 
They are contrary answers to MY original question, which was, does supplemental lighting make a difference, when it comes to when pullets start laying.
I know I CAN use the lighting, but I wanted to know if it would make a difference. @Tookie said, No, they don’t need it. Whereas @Lady of McCamley said now there will be a delay.
Ok. Tookie, I think, was saying they don't need it because it's best to let nature do it's thing rather than force them into laying. Maybe I'm wrong, then.
 
I decided to give them additional light. I set the timer today, adding 20 minutes in the morning. The older hens can snooze through it.
The funny thing was, after I put the timer on, I found an egg, and another hen was in the box 😛. It worked that fast! 😉
I’ll let you guys know when the pullets start laying.
 
@WaveyCreekChickens I'm sorry the responses seemed confusing. It is important to keep in mind the difference between chicken keeping philosophy (which we all have and must figure out) and chicken keeping science for production (which is what the industry has learned for high commercial production but not necessarily for the long term health of the hen).

Supplemental lighting is a choice some believe is fine while others believe it pushes their productive system too much. (philosophy)

The science shows supplemental lighting if used correctly, triggers the pituitary gland to release the hormones to lay. BUT it must be used correctly and consistently or it will cause harm or be useless.

If total lighting is more than 16 hours a day, nervousness, feather picking, and outright aggression as well as layer fatigue can occur in the flock. If used to push laying too early (by 17 to 18 weeks), uterine prolapse is much more frequent. (Hence the attitudes to remain with the "natural" cycle.) Overall lighting does tend to reduce the long term production of the bird, ie they "play out" by 2 or 3 years of age. The commercial industry is not concerned with that as their goal is egg production. Many of us backyard farmers are not so concerned with egg production that we cannot let the natural ebb and flow of egg laying take its natural course. We get less eggs but longer lived hens.

And lighting has to be consistent and applied at the right time. If it is delayed on developing pullets who are maturing in shortening daylight, it will not push them into lay at their normal maturity time. The developing pullets need 12 to 14 hours of light when they begin to hit maturity to begin to lay. If they mature when the days are shorter than 12 hours, they typically won't lay until the day length is 12 to 14 hours. But to "kick them into gear" without delay, you need to keep the total light at 12 to 14 hours, meaning starting lighting at the summer equinox. Days are already shortening in July and August for most of us in the north. But it depends on the breed and the bird (see next paragraph).

First year pullets often come into lay that first year if they are started early enough to get enough daylight during summer to trigger the brain hormones. However, for high production and continued consistent production as light gets shorter in winter, lighting is used by the commercial industries.

There are actual charts produced to show the lumen level of light to the age of pullet and a careful schedule to follow to introduce laying at maturity when the days are getting shorter and how to keep them laying at high production (typically 16 hours).

I prefer life a bit more simplistic. I used to light. Now I don't. Various reasons. I prefer to rotate my flock so that I have young pullets maturing by August so that they lay for the fall, then I keep a continued new set of pullets maturing by August. I find my broody hatched February chicks fit that bill. I find my hens overall live longer and still produce reasonably well. But I don't have contracts to fill with thousands of eggs.

It seems this worked itself out for you, to your girlfriend's happiness. Likely more will begin to lay. Maturing by fall is always a bit dicey whether the pullet will begin laying in the fall (having gotten enough light naturally in the summer) or if they wait until spring (having not gotten enough for their particular body).

As stated to keep the best production of eggs, the commercial industries will light to keep a total of 16 hours of daylight...however, beware as stated that comes with some price (see layer fatigue, nervousness, feather picking, aggression).

So what you do will always boil down to your decision on animal care. Lighting within reason is not harmful (12 to 14 hours) but keep an eye out for nervousness in the flock. Do be aware you will likely cause an overall shorter production life in the hen.

I'll post a good Ag article below which goes into great depth on lighting techniques.

Congratulations on your new eggs.

LofMc

https://extension.umaine.edu/publications/2227e/
 
@WaveyCreekChickens I'm sorry the responses seemed confusing. It is important to keep in mind the difference between chicken keeping philosophy (which we all have and must figure out) and chicken keeping science for production (which is what the industry has learned for high commercial production but not necessarily for the long term health of the hen).

Supplemental lighting is a choice some believe is fine while others believe it pushes their productive system too much. (philosophy)

The science shows supplemental lighting if used correctly, triggers the pituitary gland to release the hormones to lay. BUT it must be used correctly and consistently or it will cause harm or be useless.

If total lighting is more than 16 hours a day, nervousness, feather picking, and outright aggression as well as layer fatigue can occur in the flock. If used to push laying too early (by 17 to 18 weeks), uterine prolapse is much more frequent. (Hence the attitudes to remain with the "natural" cycle.) Overall lighting does tend to reduce the long term production of the bird, ie they "play out" by 2 or 3 years of age. The commercial industry is not concerned with that as their goal is egg production. Many of us backyard farmers are not so concerned with egg production that we cannot let the natural ebb and flow of egg laying take its natural course. We get less eggs but longer lived hens.

And lighting has to be consistent and applied at the right time. If it is delayed on developing pullets who are maturing in shortening daylight, it will not push them into lay at their normal maturity time. The developing pullets need 12 to 14 hours of light when they begin to hit maturity to begin to lay. If they mature when the days are shorter than 12 hours, they typically won't lay until the day length is 12 to 14 hours. But to "kick them into gear" without delay, you need to keep the total light at 12 to 14 hours, meaning starting lighting at the summer equinox. Days are already shortening in July and August for most of us in the north. But it depends on the breed and the bird (see next paragraph).

First year pullets often come into lay that first year if they are started early enough to get enough daylight during summer to trigger the brain hormones. However, for high production and continued consistent production as light gets shorter in winter, lighting is used by the commercial industries.

There are actual charts produced to show the lumen level of light to the age of pullet and a careful schedule to follow to introduce laying at maturity when the days are getting shorter and how to keep them laying at high production (typically 16 hours).

I prefer life a bit more simplistic. I used to light. Now I don't. Various reasons. I prefer to rotate my flock so that I have young pullets maturing by August so that they lay for the fall, then I keep a continued new set of pullets maturing by August. I find my broody hatched February chicks fit that bill. I find my hens overall live longer and still produce reasonably well. But I don't have contracts to fill with thousands of eggs.

It seems this worked itself out for you, to your girlfriend's happiness. Likely more will begin to lay. Maturing by fall is always a bit dicey whether the pullet will begin laying in the fall (having gotten enough light naturally in the summer) or if they wait until spring (having not gotten enough for their particular body).

As stated to keep the best production of eggs, the commercial industries will light to keep a total of 16 hours of daylight...however, beware as stated that comes with some price (see layer fatigue, nervousness, feather picking, aggression).

So what you do will always boil down to your decision on animal care. Lighting within reason is not harmful (12 to 14 hours) but keep an eye out for nervousness in the flock. Do be aware you will likely cause an overall shorter production life in the hen.

I'll post a good Ag article below which goes into great depth on lighting techniques.

Congratulations on your new eggs.

LofMc

https://extension.umaine.edu/publications/2227e/
That's the science as to why I don't supplement light. Not worth even a slight risk to my birds. I'll wait for my girls. Just my philosophy, though. To each his or her own.
 

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