To use a light, or not?

[jstlitlome]

OK, so I've heard a lot of people say that they start adding a light to extend the days and keep egg production high. I've heard others say that they let their girls take a winter break.

So my question is: Do chickens have a set number of eggs that they will produce, or will they stop laying at a certain age no matter how many eggs they lay?

I would be willing to have less eggs if it means that I will keep them laying longer, but if the age that they stop laying does not depend on number of eggs, I might as well keep production up.

I'll be interested to see everyone,s opinion!

Leslie

 

[Wyandottes7]

Hens are hatched with aproximately 13,000 to 14,000 immature yolks in their body. They never lay all of these eggs, though. So, yes, hens have a set limit in their bodies, but never exhaust that supply. No matter how many eggs a hen lays, they will slow down and stop laying no matter what.

 

[Judy]

Personal choice. How well they lay in winter also depends to a degree on the breed. I tried a light one year and got few if any more eggs than I did the year before. I have several Australorps and I get some eggs all year, just more in spring and summer.

Also, some lay longer than others, apparently more on an individual basis. I have 9 hens between 2 and 4 years old, and am getting 6 or 7 eggs most days right now. Pretty darn good. Commercial egg producers get rid of the hens around 1.5 or 2 years old, I believe, nomatter how much an individual hen is laying.

 

[JackE]

Yep, chickens have a finite amount of eggs that they will lay. For myself, I see no reason as a non-commercial chicken owner, to try an artificially force more eggs out of them. If it was a matter of money, it would be different. To me, they can take a break, go through a molt, or whatever. You want more eggs in the winter, get more birds.

 

[waltandlori]

My hens laid all last winter and spring, well up to recently the same amount with no artificial light. I was getting most days 8 eggs from 9 layers, the least was 6 the most ( once) was 9. My turkin lays most days, I kept track for 3 weeks and she missed one day. Right now I get 3 or 4 a day (molting) and sometimes 6. I guess when they are done it will go back up. I see no reason to try to make them lay more I have plenty. I even let them sleep in once in a while lol.

 

[MoonShadows]

I try to keep things as natural as I can for my birds, so why would I use artificial light to stimulate egg production? All cycles, whether for humans or birds, are natural and "built in" for a reason (even if I don't know that reason), so I'm not going to mess with it.

 

[Hokum Coco]

Not is my decision on lighting.
The gain is minimal on 12 hens.
Some hens lay every day winter or summer.
What more do you want?

On a small scale you are throwing good money after bad.
It would cost more to supply the light in exchange for the amount of eggs realized.
Plus my hens deserve a bit of a hiatus.
I personally think it makes for a healthier happier hen to let nature take it's course (less cases of prolapse and egg bound in my opinion).
It does not offend me to buy a dozen eggs from the supermarket.
It makes the family appreciate the girls eggs that much more.