Winter Layers? REALLY?

[Wnunezcruz]

I recently read that with the time change when the days get shorter it's like not enough daylight for them. So they say to put a heat lamp with your chickens and they will think the daylight is the same length and will lay eggs again. Thy also could be broody but I doubt all of them are. The chickens need at least so many daylight hours I think 12 hours to lay an egg but the daylight hanged to shorter so you would do best to put a heat lamp or two with them. Hope this helps.

 

[Cindy in PA]

Quote:
They need light, but they really don't need heat lamps. A simple 40 watt bulb for an 8 by 8 coop is sufficient.

 

[gmendoza]

I dont put a light in their coop.I say the winter time is a natural time for them to relax and lay occasionally.I wont force them with artificial light. Right now they are laying about ten a day and thats with 22 hens. 10x7=70 eggs per week amongst 4 people in the house? too many to eat. in the summer it was like 18 a day!!

We also have our turkey hen laying eggs now.We have about a dozen of them in the fridge.

Still have about 100 0r so bantam eggs as well.I think nature tells it all,and wont interfere because we have about 182 total eggs in the house!!!!!!

 

[mieastman]

There is "light" in your future. I too live in Eugene and have the winter blues. Four of our girls are just coming out of a full blown molting and the other four are just coming of age. We got our first egg on Tuesday(below freezing) from Lily, one of three new Welsummers. It was small, but to us, the cause of celebration. We don't us lights or heat in the coop. You still can have eggs(I went a week before breaking down), at Dairy Mart and Winco. Look for Willamette Valley Egg Farm Free Nested in the yellow carton. Enjoy.

 

[Ole rooster]

I know it's not as cold here as other places, but out of my 7 hens with one settin, yesterday I got 6 eggs. I suppose I'm just lucky right now.

One good thing is one of the BO's egg has finally increased in size. But the other hens egg is still smaller than a golf ball.

 

[sheaviance1]

Dumb question, but one I have to ask. Do they have access to water? I have a friend who was wondering about why she wasn't getting any eggs. Their water was frozen, and had been for a while. They quit laying and started molting their first winter from the stress of it.
Your first winter girls should be laying. Could they be hiding them?

 

[Barnmaradotte]

Yea they get plenty water. Ive actually been bringing the water in at night, fill with fresh, then take it back out in the morning so it wont freeze. I wish they were hiding eggs. I know where the girls have what we call the "Natural Nest's".

 

[reksat]

Maybe its because my ladies are young, but up to this point i have been faithfully getting 7 to 8 eggs a day and on occassion 9 from my 8 RIR. Almost 1ft of snow over night and this morning before noon 9 eggs. I hope this continues but I heard as they age they will eventually slow down but as for now were enjoying it. Hang in there.

 

[red dragon]

I have been pleasantly surprised by my Buff Orpingtons. It is falling into single digits here most nights, some below zeros and, in our canyon, daylight hours are from about 9 to 4. Still, I'm getting an average of 4 eggs per day from 8 hens! One hen is sitting tight on a small clutch - we'll see what happens with that.

Judy in New Mexico