Winter egg laying

[RunningChicken]

I'm new to all this. How does this egg-laying thing work in winter? I've 8 20 week old chickens, of which only one has started laying.... It seems that about the time the rest start laying, they might stop for winter. (Oh, tell me not so!!) ??

Some of my breeds are supposed to be good winter layers... does that mean you still have to coerce them to lay with extra lighting, or will they simply continue to lay with normal ambient lighting?

Thanks!

 

[fordmommy]

I was told that they just slow production in winter.

 

[blurose]

Of vital importance to continued egg production throughout the winter months is light. If you don't have enough sunlight (at least 14-15 hours a day) then you need to use a lightbulb and "fake out" your hens into continuing to lay during the winter. You must do this from the very start of their laying career or they will stop laying eggs during the winter. I've got some hens that are nearly 5 years old and, because I was ill and not able to set it up, were not "faked out" during their first laying year. So, every October they stop laying and don't start laying again until mid April. I have a new flock of pullets that will be into their first laying year this winter and I will be using a "fake out" light on them.

Of course, it won't get my older hens to continue laying and will probably just annoy them as they like to go to sleep with the sun.

 

[magsrags]

you know.................al my silkies began laying the week of christmas 2008 at 5 1/2 months old and continued with NO light supplimnt through the winter months. So I wonder if it is breed specific or what? I had 5 hens and nearly every day got 5 eggs.

 

[gritsar]

My brahma hens continued to lay well throughout this past winter, but they are a breed known to lay well in the winter and it was their first winter. I expect them to at least slack off with the upcoming winter. I don't add light.
If I remember correctly if they are in their first season of laying, they may or may not slow production in the winter. After the first year, there's more of a chance that they will slack off.

 

[ChikeeMomma]

I just put a light in the coop which is on a timer. I make sure that they are getting 14 hours of light. So they get some artificial and some natural light in the winter. The hens laid just fine all winter long. Oddly enough, they slowed down this summer (wasn't even too hot out), but have picked back up again. Guess they needed a break.

 

[dadreda]

What type of lighting is recommended?

 

[Mahonri]

Here in AZ we have low production in the summer and good production in the winter.

 

[gottalovemychickens]

Quote:
i think it is breed spec , because ive been doing a lot of reading about chickens and from what i have read it looks as if my black aussie will not stop laying in winter . They will cont like normal

 

[rainbowgardens]

My 8 dominiques averaged about 1-3 eggs per day in the darkest weeks of winter. We used no lights or heat in their coop. Boy were we glad when the daylight hours began getting longer.