Using light in the Coop

[adch.lab1]

What is the optimal number of hours (per day) of light to keep my hens laying all winter. I want to try to keep the egg prodution up this winter using artificial light/heat.
Thanks,

 

[10 point]

14 hours

 

[ll]

14 hours of electricity - wow.

Mine will be getting a rest/vacation from laying each winter

 

[adch.lab1]

Thanks! Does it matter if I supplement the daylight with artificial light in the morning, at might or some of both?

 

[cravenchx]

40 watt bulb, over the feed and water with a reflective
device was the advice I got for 12 to 13 hours.

 

[dbounds10]

In the morning so that they are not caught off the roost when the light suddenly goes out. I plan to have my light kick on at 5am and off once the sun comes up with a timer. That way they just have the gradual sunset like normal but should give them 12 hours of light.

 

[ECBW]

12 hrs day. The idea is have them up and feed so they can lay. I found that dusk light does not benefit since they would roost at sunset. The light would be on and they just sat at their roost wondering why the sunset was extra long. Dawn light would get them off the roost and start feeding.

This may be redundant to mention but the light should be turned off when the sun is up, so we are talking about only a few hours each day. I use a 25w bulb because my coop is compact.

 

[Cindy in PA]

You don't have to light 14 hours unless your coop is windowless. Just add the additional hours to make 14. Even so, 14 hours with a 40 watt bulb would be 7 cents a day IF your price per killowatt is as high as 13 cents. 30 days of that would be $2.18! Not really much in the scheme of things.

 

[cravenchx]

My girls aren't laying yet. I don't know
if I'll go with the artificial light. Maybe let
nature keep it's course. Not raising eggs
to retire on!

 

[crazychics4me]

how long do the chickens usually stop laying during the winter if you go with natural light only??