Time for light!

[Fred's Hens]

Quote:
I mean no rudeness, but just repeating this over and over doesn't make it true.

 

[keesmom]

Quote:
They do? We're getting 9 hours of daylight and I'm still getting eggs. Peak production here is Feb-April, and we don't get 14 hours of light until June. The rapidly lengthening daylight near the spring equinox seems to trigger increased laying here.

 

[FarmGirl01]

I got eggs daily in Winter when we lived in Kansas City. But down here my birds don't lay well. I'm using a light to get the hens to lay me some eggs to hatch.

 

[OmyChickens]

Fred's Hens :

Quote:
I mean no rudeness, but just repeating this over and over doesn't make it true.

On page 192 of Storey's Guide to RAISING CHICKENS, New Edition. It says under Augmenting Daylight: "Start augmenting natural light when day length decreases to approach 15 hours, which in most parts of the United States occurs in September. Continue the lighting program throughout the winter and into spring, until natural daylight is back up to 15 hours per day."
On page 304 of raising chickens for dummies, it says "you should light the coop for pullets just like you do for adult hens- 16 hours of light and 8 hours of darkness."

I think there are several instances of books that are telling people numbers around 14-16 hours of light a day is optimal for egg production. (notice i said "optimal" and not required.. this may be where the confusion lies... )

i snatched the following from my post on a different thread..

"The length and intensity of light is what triggers the hormones in hens to start the laying process.. If you are able to, you can artificially light your coop so your hens get about 14-16 hours of bright light a day and 8-10 of dark or dim light. Make sure you keep a regular schedule. Hens can stress out it they know the lights go off at "x" time and they dont go off until you get home late after dinner and a movie.. Timers are pretty cheap and a great way to solve that problem.

Other factors for not laying could be stress (predators, mean roosters, wacky schedules with lighting, poor nutrition, all kinds of things) and temperature.. if its too cold many hens just wont lay. you can artificially heat your coop too.. I made a solar heater out of old aluminum cans and a solar fan.. super cheep cheep!

Good luck!

edited to add:
a great site with tons of info on lighting and poultry.. with references..
http://www.sp.uconn.edu/~mdarre/poultrypages/light_inset.html​

 

[Fred's Hens]

Quote:
I mean no rudeness, but just repeating this over and over doesn't make it true.

On page 192 of Storey's Guide to RAISING CHICKENS, New Edition. It says under Augmenting Daylight: "Start augmenting natural light when day length decreases to approach 15 hours, which in most parts of the United States occurs in September. Continue the lighting program throughout the winter and into spring, until natural daylight is back up to 15 hours per day."
On page 304 of raising chickens for dummies, it says "you should light the coop for pullets just like you do for adult hens- 16 hours of light and 8 hours of darkness."

I think there are several instances of books that are telling people numbers around 14-16 hours of light a day is optimal for egg production. (notice i said "optimal" and not required.. this may be where the confusion lies... )

i snatched the following from my post on a different thread..

"The length and intensity of light is what triggers the hormones in hens to start the laying process.. If you are able to, you can artificially light your coop so your hens get about 14-16 hours of bright light a day and 8-10 of dark or dim light. Make sure you keep a regular schedule. Hens can stress out it they know the lights go off at "x" time and they dont go off until you get home late after dinner and a movie.. Timers are pretty cheap and a great way to solve that problem.

Other factors for not laying could be stress (predators, mean roosters, wacky schedules with lighting, poor nutrition, all kinds of things) and temperature.. if its too cold many hens just wont lay. you can artificially heat your coop too.. I made a solar heater out of old aluminum cans and a solar fan.. super cheep cheep!

Good luck!

I am very well aware of the lighting programs used in the industry and how they get applied to homesteaders and backyarders. Nonetheless, the statement questioned above and negated by the post of keesmom and her experience is the ABSOLUTE nature of the claim. It is the absolute phrasing that is wrong. "Chickens MUST have 14 hours of light in order to lay." That statement is simply not factual.

1/3 of the population of the earth likely lies in the equatorial region between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn. Literally billions of chickens are kept in this region as there is a poultry culture in these regions. Yet, these equatorial and near equatorial lands NEVER receive 14 hours of daylight. Ever. Yet what do we find? Chickens laying and reproducing very well. A chicken in Kenya, Congo, Thailand, VietNam, the Phillipines, Equador, Brazil or even Hawaii never see 14 hours of natural light.

In almost 50 years of keeping chickens, I and many other like me, have never induced 14-16 hours of artificial lighting in the winter. Ever. I repeat again that first year pullets rarely need more than 10-12 hours combine lighting to lay well. I am collecting a few dozen eggs every day and our birds are receiving no more than 12 hours of lighting. Nature places the heaviest lifting of egg laying on the first year pullet. This isn't surprising. Due to predation, disease and death, the young of many species carry the heaviest burden of reproduction.

Please note how the statement was phrased. The statement, as typed, repeatedly: "Chickens need 14 hours of light to lay" is simply and factually incorrect as stated. Would supplemental lighting improve winter lay? perhaps. Helpful in initiating laying for a point of lay pullet? sure. But those were not the claims made. Sorry, I stand by my objection.

Now back to our regular broadcasting. Best regards to everyone.

 

[FarmGirl01]

That didn't take long.

 

[epeloquin]

Quote:
This is a good tip because chickens don't see well in the dark, especially if you go from lights on to dark. I had gone to check on my girls one time and turned their light on. A couple of them jumped down from their roost and when we turned out the light they had real trouble getting back up. They kept crashing into the roost as they tried to jump up.

 

[OmyChickens]

Fred's Hens :

Please note how the statement was phrased. The statement, as typed, repeatedly: "Chickens need 14 hours of light to lay" is simply and factually incorrect as stated. Would supplemental lighting improve winter lay? perhaps. Helpful in initiating laying for a point of lay pullet? sure. But those were not the claims made. Sorry, I stand by my objection.

No need for apologies.

you can stand by whatever beliefs you feel are right. I should mention that i asked you to "notice that i said optimal".. not required. i addressed the issue in wording. I was merely trying to shed some light on the fact that there IS a disconnect in what is being written and practiced. And i agree with you.. CHICKENS DO NOT NEEEEEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDD 14 HOURS OF LIGHT.

light= not necessary. i know that. you, you know that... but its alot of other people that are confused... and thats why we post our beliefs and experiences on this wonderful thing we call the interwebs!

 

[Fred's Hens]

Quote:
No need for apologies.

you can stand by whatever beliefs you feel are right. I should mention that i asked you to "notice that i said optimal".. not required. i addressed the issue in wording. I was merely trying to shed some light on the fact that there IS a disconnect in what is being written and practiced. And i agree with you.. CHICKENS DO NOT NEEEEEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDD 14 HOURS OF LIGHT.

light= not necessary. i know that. you, you know that... but its alot of other people that are confused... and thats why we post our beliefs and experiences on this wonderful thing we call the interwebs!

 

[goldies99]

Fred's Hens :

Quote:
On page 192 of Storey's Guide to RAISING CHICKENS, New Edition. It says under Augmenting Daylight: "Start augmenting natural light when day length decreases to approach 15 hours, which in most parts of the United States occurs in September. Continue the lighting program throughout the winter and into spring, until natural daylight is back up to 15 hours per day."
On page 304 of raising chickens for dummies, it says "you should light the coop for pullets just like you do for adult hens- 16 hours of light and 8 hours of darkness."

I think there are several instances of books that are telling people numbers around 14-16 hours of light a day is optimal for egg production. (notice i said "optimal" and not required.. this may be where the confusion lies... )

i snatched the following from my post on a different thread..

"The length and intensity of light is what triggers the hormones in hens to start the laying process.. If you are able to, you can artificially light your coop so your hens get about 14-16 hours of bright light a day and 8-10 of dark or dim light. Make sure you keep a regular schedule. Hens can stress out it they know the lights go off at "x" time and they dont go off until you get home late after dinner and a movie.. Timers are pretty cheap and a great way to solve that problem.

Other factors for not laying could be stress (predators, mean roosters, wacky schedules with lighting, poor nutrition, all kinds of things) and temperature.. if its too cold many hens just wont lay. you can artificially heat your coop too.. I made a solar heater out of old aluminum cans and a solar fan.. super cheep cheep!

Good luck!

I am very well aware of the lighting programs used in the industry and how they get applied to homesteaders and backyarders. Nonetheless, the statement questioned above and negated by the post of keesmom and her experience is the ABSOLUTE nature of the claim. It is the absolute phrasing that is wrong. "Chickens MUST have 14 hours of light in order to lay." That statement is simply not factual.

1/3 of the population of the earth likely lies in the equatorial region between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn. Literally billions of chickens are kept in this region as there is a poultry culture in these regions. Yet, these equatorial and near equatorial lands NEVER receive 14 hours of daylight. Ever. Yet what do we find? Chickens laying and reproducing very well. A chicken in Kenya, Congo, Thailand, VietNam, the Phillipines, Equador, Brazil or even Hawaii never see 14 hours of natural light.

In almost 50 years of keeping chickens, I and many other like me, have never induced 14-16 hours of artificial lighting in the winter. Ever. I repeat again that first year pullets rarely need more than 10-12 hours combine lighting to lay well. I am collecting a few dozen eggs every day and our birds are receiving no more than 12 hours of lighting. Nature places the heaviest lifting of egg laying on the first year pullet. This isn't surprising. Due to predation, disease and death, the young of many species carry the heaviest burden of reproduction.

Please note how the statement was phrased. The statement, as typed, repeatedly: "Chickens need 14 hours of light to lay" is simply and factually incorrect as stated. Would supplemental lighting improve winter lay? perhaps. Helpful in initiating laying for a point of lay pullet? sure. But those were not the claims made. Sorry, I stand by my objection.

Now back to our regular broadcasting. Best regards to everyone.​

where fred.....did i say MUST????????......i said need......and may i go on to say that i got my information "HERE"....and am only repeating what i learned..."HERE"...!!!

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/crops...Backyard+Flocks/Why+Hens+Stop+Laying+Eggs.htm

this site also goes on to tell you WHY chickens NEED extended light to lay...of course not all will NEED anything....nothing is across the board.....but many chickens farmers told me to extend light as well!!!!....maybe fred you just have super chickens that dont NEED anything special to lay but your love!!!