Will a heat lamp 24/7 cause a hen to lay??

[silkiechick05]

Or do they lay in the winter anyways?

 

[BeardedLadyFarm]

Mine are on 14 hours of light, with no extra heat. I get 7-9 eggs a day from 9 layers.

Breed, age, diet, and temperature can all affect laying. Unless you are in a very extreme climate, you shouldn't need a heat lamp around the clock.

 

[Kim_NC]

Chickens lay best 40*- 80* F. That said, they'll still lay at lower or higher temps, especially of they have a draft free and well ventilated coop space.

And I agree, the total hours of light per day is more critical. Ours are on 16 hrs with the extra light added in the morning by a timer. 14 hrs is all that's required. We just use 16 because we don't have to adjust the timer as much when the natural daylight gets shorter/longer during the seasonal changes.

 

[ginbart]

I just started a timer on mine yesterday. I have it set to start at 3:30am and go off at 7:30am. I have 26 hens and I'm only getting 4 eggs a day and I have RIR's. I decided since I wasn't getting that many eggs it wouldn't hurt. If that doesn't work then I know it's the feed I needed to change them to because TSC stopped selling the layer feed I was giving them.

 

[Choco Maran]

I have a light on in the coop 24/7 also and I get about 10 to 12 eggs from about 16 laying hens. I hens I have in a coop with no light are not laying at all. They are all the same age 24 - 26 weeks. I feel i has helped. I also feed a 18% protein layer feed.

 

[silkiechick05]

Yeah I have mine on Purina's Layena

I did have her on a heat lamp because of an egg laying ordeal, but we are in texas and she was not able to get away from the heat of it (she's new and can't be in the coop with the others, so she's in a small dog crate), so we took it away. The temperatures are supposed to drop though, so I might put it back on her.

We got another egg today!!

 

[ginbart]

Quote:
You don't need a heat lamp any light bulb will work. I'm using a heat lamp to get it a little warmer inside for them. It's only 17 outside.

 

[silkiechick05]

Quote:
You don't need a heat lamp any light bulb will work. I'm using a heat lamp to get it a little warmer inside for them. It's only 17 outside.

Well, I guess my perception of a "heat lamp" is a regular bulb in one of those lights with the metal and clip that you buy at TSC...

Is that what you are using??

 

[ginbart]

Quote:
You don't need a heat lamp any light bulb will work. I'm using a heat lamp to get it a little warmer inside for them. It's only 17 outside.

Well, I guess my perception of a "heat lamp" is a regular bulb in one of those lights with the metal and clip that you buy at TSC...

Is that what you are using??

I see, your using a regular bulb. I have a 250w in mine to help with some heat. But your right that's a heat lamp you can buy at TSC.