What if I don't provide artificial light?

[Beekissed]

I don't do extra lighting either. Never have and I get a slow down in the winter but never a stop. I've got 3 mo. old pullets that will be maturing around Christmas or New Years and I expect they will start laying right on schedule, winter light or not.

God didn't make any mistakes on this issue....keeping warm in the winter takes some energy, energy best not expended on daily egg laying during those months. Every gal needs a break once in awhile!

 

[cat1994]

Hi i never use artificial lighting. i just let the hens lay whenever they want. I have chickens because they are beautifal and my pets, so when they lay an egg its just a bonus.

 

[Chick Charm]

Expanding daylight does indeed encourage the girls to lay more. But letting them go natural is not a bad thing either. As long as they ( egg layers like sex links, RIR, Leghorns ) are healthy and get 12 or 13 hours of light per day they will probable lay 5 or 6 days a week if not every day for the first couple years except the molting periods. Just speaking from the little experience I have.

 

[woodmort]

I live in the same area as OP and, just to be contrary, I have had a 20w florescent light on for 15 hrs a day since Sept 1st and expect it to stay that way through April. It is on a dual timer so extends the day in both the morning and evening to about where it was back in July. My birds are for eggs so I try to keep them producing as much in the winter as during the other months. That being said, I doubt extra light would be that necessary to get birds to start to lay, Ma Nature determines that not light nor temperature, when both of these are low, the hens have less incentive to lay. I'm not talking about 24 hrs of intense lighting to force laying, just keeping a consistent amount of light. After all, birds in areas closer to the equator don't seem to burn out on these length of hours.

 

[Mahonri]

My best layers right now are the Marans in the pen without artificial light. Go fig.

 

[woodmort]

Quote:
Yeah, but what are the variation in daylight in your area on a monthly basis? We're down to 12 hrs per day now from 16 in June, by December it'll be about 8.

 

[dieselgrl48]

My original old 3 room coop had a timer light set up in it.When We got our first bird's 6 year's ago Father in law and DH ran new wiring to the coop and got the whole thing going great.We were new to chicken's and thought the light would help egg production.We started with some RIR's too.Guess when Ya find out ya got 10 roo's and 2 hen's... lol

. Anyway time went on and a lot of breed's under the bridge.We just let nature do it's thing with the bird's now.A chicken is going to lay no more than an egg a day anyway.The best breed of layer's We ever had were Jersey Giant's.They laid good even in the cold winter's here.Not every hen an egg a day but more than enough for Us.The timer and stuff still work's like new and I suppose it was installed in the 60's We just didn't find it useful really here.

 

[Dixiedoodle]

I am in the south and last winter was my first w/ chickens. I know our "cold" is much different than your "cold" ..but this past winter was our coldest in 2 decades. I got eggs all winter, not as many pre day as in the fall (when they first started). I think they need the 'rest' during the coldest part of the yr... they have enough of a job--just keeping warm.. I thought about a heat light for keeping their water from freezing but I have a horrid fear of fire-.. I have two waterers so I could just take a clean, warm one out each time..

 

[arch_cpj]

We use artificial light as well mine runs from 1730 to 2230 from september until april... Usually right at labor day... I do this to take into account the short days and to maintain my egg production not increase... I also figure it this way the birds only eat in the day light right... If they use more energy in the winter to keep warm etc it makes no sense to short them eating time therefore I think it helps the birds keep up their energy in the cold as they eat more...

 

[woodmort]

Chickens are domesticated game fowl that were originally from equatorial Asia where they had 12 hrs of daylight year around so why do they need a winter rest? Ideally if one should match those conditions the birds would do the best, since we don't live in the tropics we have to do the best we can which means adding light in the winter.