Using a Light to keep production up? Pros/Cons

[carlos_zaragoza]

the last two winters I had a light on a timer during winter. Seemed to work great. I was about to hook it up for this fall/winter and wondered... does keeping the production up hurt the birds. Should I allow Mother Nature to work and just take whatever eggs we get during winter? Does keeping their production up by using lights shorten their life time of producing eggs or does it not affect that at all?


Thanks!

 

[igorsMistress]

I believe it's best to let their little bodies take a break. Other opinions vary.

 

[DobieLover]

I agree with @igorsMistress. In a natural setting, their bodies take a break from laying with the onset of shorter days. It takes a lot of energy to produce an egg. I've never used artificial light to induce extended laying.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I guess it depends on if you consider the birds pets or livestock. If they're pets and you want to keep them around and healthy for as long as possible regardless if they're laying or not, I would let them have a break in the winter. If they're livestock, and you plan on culling them as production drops, then supplement lighting.

I don't use supplemental light and have never gotten eggs in the winter, so I'm trying to save up surplus this fall.

 

[aart]

I've used lights for 5 years.
It can work, or not.
Have decided they do need a break so now don't turn the lights up until after all have molted.

 

[Acre4Me]

I use light bc their bodies get a natural break at molt and I like getting eggs. They are provided balanced all-flock feed formulated for birds, so I know their bodies get what they need from a nutritional standpoint. Our flock is made up of heritage breeds (not production), so their bodies aren’t pumping out the eggs every day anyway, they are around 4-5 eggs/week, maybe an individual is up to 6/week or during long daylight days, but in general, they aren’t super high production birds.

As one gets closer to the equator, the daylight length varies less. So the birds there are taking a break at molt, and not because the light exposure is too short. Therefore, they are laying through the “winter”, and not likely dying early because of the “winter” laying.

Last winter, with light, my flock slowed up production anyway. So, my 4-5 eggs/ week layers were more like 2-4 eggs / week layers. Then we had a long run of very cloudy and overcast and grey days (and grey and rainy days) and a few actually stopped production altogether that month! The supplemental light shuts off during normal daylight hours, so the best light they were getting that month was from a 60w bulb in the early hours!

Overall, their bodies produce eggs when the environment is right: light, nutrition, health, known routine (no/low stress, familiar environment).

 

[aart]

I use light bc their bodies get a natural break at molt

I've had them not molt with the light...a few molted in spring.
Then I've had them molt with light...SMH.
It's not like flipping a switch

@Acre4Me what is the daily duration of lighting you use?
Is it on all the same all year or....?

 

[cluckmecoop7]

I would not use lights. I read somewhere it can give hens cancer,,,,

 

[aart]

I would not use lights. I read somewhere it can give hens cancer,,,,

Noooo!!!.....
It can possibly be detrimental to overall health, depending on how it's applied.

 

[igorsMistress]

I guess it depends on if you consider the birds pets or livestock. If they're pets and you want to keep them around and healthy for as long as possible regardless if they're laying or not, I would let them have a break in the winter. If they're livestock, and you plan on culling them as production drops, then supplement lighting.

I don't use supplemental light and have never gotten eggs in the winter, so I'm trying to save up surplus this fall.

I think that's a wobbler. My chickens are livestock but I don't supplement light. I get enough eggs the rest of the year to freeze some for fall and winter baking, eggs store for a good while and it depends on when the chicks hatch. Late Spring and early Summer girls will often lay the first winter, Fall chicks will usually start in Spring.