Washingtonians

[RaZ]

Not to worry Raz there is NO REASON for a huge debate over things like this!!! As long as it is my way it's the right way!

No really just kidding. See for so many things there really is NO RIGHT WAY and NO WRONG WAY! There are SO MANY variables like location, Climate and PERSONAL PREFERENCE.

I'm just counting back 14 hours from dusk. Dusk is changing a little bit each day. Or, if I get up late and turn it on late, like this morning, I add time to the end. Fortunately everyone went up to the coop this evening and stayed there before the pop door closed on them.

The thing that bothers me most is the idea that our hens need a certain amount of light for egg production. The 14 - 16 hours of daylight is based largely on production facilities. That seems to be a truism that gets repeated all the time.
Those production hens are a lot different from our backyard flocks. They have been bred for egg production.
Not every hen in my flock is an egg a day girl, a few are doing well at 3 eggs per week no matter how much daylight is available. It is just that breed.

 

[FirewifeJess]

Thanks Dawn, for going to that thread!

As for lighting, I appreciate the wide array of insight from many different opinions on this thread. I will be doing supplementary lighting, but perhaps not the whole 14 hours all winter. I think that I will stick to setting it at 4-5am all winter and just see what happens. If it gives my girls a boost for half the winter and they continue laying fairly well until they molt when the lighting isn't quite enough, I'm fine with that too. I don't want to overstress my birds, but I also don't want to be feeding an entire flock of birds all winter and only getting 3 eggs a day. My family eats 4 dozen eggs a week....at least. I can't afford to feed our girls AND buy eggs. That would be outrageous. They're pets, but they need to be doing their job most of the time too.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

And for the record ....... I think I was being Set up by a couple of silly girlyz that knew they could be home way before me so they could make post that they hoped would make me look bad.


And for the record when I followed my homing device to T Hi's house .... Guess what she wasn't awake yet When she answered the door I thought I was gonna have to for my life !!!!!!

 

[FirewifeJess]

 

[T Hi]

Also a huge thank you to T Hi for being so kind as to us around. I have to admit that I normally get very nervous with most other peoples driving. I felt so relaxed riding with Toni. I had NO ANXIETIES at all. Thanks   

You were relaxed because I drove toooo fast for you to have a chance to feel scared!! Plus I sure as heck was NOT gonna ride around my town with you behind the wheel!!

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Quote: I don't either. I look at it this way...a hen has a predetermined number of eggs that she can lay in her lifetime...if I force her to lay by providing artificial light, then yes she will lay great for me for a few years, but then she's done. Where if I let her do what she will do naturally, she may lay fewer eggs per year, but she will lay later in her life for me, and if I have some exceptional birds in my breeding pen, that means I can get more offspring from those birds, since I don't hatch during this later time of year anyway... sorry for the ramble. LOL

 

[ErinMartin927]

Hello! I'm new around here... I'm completely new to BYC raising... we are building our coop starting tomorrow and getting our wee chicks in the afternoon (we picked out two barred rock and two RIR this morning)

Can anyone direct me of some good places to learn more about what I should expect with my 1 weekers coming home tomorrow??

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Quote: Cause you know I would scare ya with some true driving techniques!!!!

 

[T Hi]

And for the record ....... I think I was being  Set up by a couple of silly girlyz that knew they could be home way before me so they could make post that they hoped would make me look bad.    


And for the record when I followed my homing device to T Hi's house .... Guess what she wasn't  awake yet    When she answered the door I thought I was gonna have to  for my life !!!!!!

OOOOOOOhhhhhhh you are so in trouble Mister!!! If SOMEBODY would have called me more then 20 minutes before they were at my house then maybe that SOMEBODY would no have had to worry!!!

 

[FirewifeJess]

Hello! I'm new around here... I'm completely new to BYC raising... we are building our coop starting tomorrow and getting our wee chicks in the afternoon (we picked out two barred rock and two RIR this morning)

Can anyone direct me of some good places to learn more about what I should expect with my 1 weekers coming home tomorrow??

and to our WA thread! Congrats on your new girls, you're gonna love them, it's such a blast! Are you looking for books or websites? This one is obviously the best; go to the Learning Center at the top of the page and read everything you can on chick care first and foremost. What kind of brooder do you have set up for your babies?