…… Chickens-added light to boost eggs in the Winter/Molting?

[Satanta]

I have twi ierhead Florescents in the garage where the chickens reside. Added an orangisg standard bulb to a clamp light and a set of grow light LEDS that are full spectrum.

I ghet 6 to 7 eggs daily.

Here is the thing, the more I learn the less enthoused I am about this as it runs the chickens dry sooner.

Also saw a member post about cutting back their own chickens lighting to get them to Molt.

It is a two-car garage with three doors. One set faces North and get decent light most of the day but indirect. One faces East but is under a carport so, except for maybe ten minutes it is also subdued and, facing WEast under the carport it gets dimmer by Noon and dark earlier.

So, turn off the lights? Leave one set on for a few hours? Not sure of my approach here.

 

[Border Collie Dad]

Chickens need so many hours of light a day to lay.
I think it's 14.
There isn't enough daylight now so that's why they need supplemental light

 

[BornFree]

It sounds like you could grow very large Florescent orange chickens. But then what do I know.

 

[LightEcho]

I never heard of the light- molting effect. My understanding is that chickens will molt with certain stresses. A big one is lack of water. Another might be insufficient food. This time of year you do NOT want them molting. Where I am they will freeze in one night. Chickens will stop laying long before they start molting.

I have a bright LED light- maybe 30 watts, on a timer for 3-4 hours in morning and about 3 hours at the end of day into night. Works fine for eggs.

 

[nomifyle]

Maybe it’s the climate where I live but our chicken lay a lot with no extra light, although other chicken owners come here for eggs because their chickens aren’t laying, we have no clue about the amount they are laying

 

[Kewpie]

Never heard about cutting back lighting to encourage molting. I don’t think I would want them to molt dead of winter anyway.

The extra lighting will 100% get them to lay. I have a group of Marans that I picked up around Septemberish. Hadn’t laid a dang thing. We had a few super cold nights so I set up a red light warming lamp and within 2 weeks, those hens were going like gangbusters. It’s not necessarily good for them. Just like humans, they’re borne with X number of eggs, so forcing egg laying means they’re give out sooner. Some farmers are OK with that, and every two years or so they basically overturn the whole flock in order to always have prime egg layers.

 

[Firebird]

We always had bulbs on timers in our coop in the winter, to give them more laying time

 

[Satanta]

Ok, let me clarify. I know the light gets them to lay. Thing is it shortens their 'Laying Life. Eventually they hit menopause and go from being laying hens to Cougars wearing bright green outfits with Day=Glo orange haor.

There is some debate about adding lighting in the Winter as, just like with people, it throws off their natural rythym.

On some thread here another poster [[whom I do not recall]] said they turned off their artificial light in Febuary so they will go into their molting cycle then instead of doing it in the Summer IIRC.

I am balancing the idea of keeping them in a more natural state so they lay longer or simply doing it like a lot of people with the added light. Maybe a good Medium in there somewhere. I average 6 or 7 a day. Not like we use that many so I am pickling and going to start dehydrating them. Give some to friends too.

 

[summerthyme]

Unless you are raising all their feed, or live in an environment where free ranging is both safe and productive, it's really silly to try to "extend their laying life", once they are beyond the age where they lay at least 4-5 eggs a week. I know some folks see them as pets, and that's fine, if you can afford it.

But on a practical basis, we've found that 2 years (which will include one molt, and will end up with them being about 3 1/2 years old) of laying is the most economically practical. This takes into account the cost of raising replacements, as well as the (minimal, if using LEDs) electricity cost for lighting.

They do lay fewer eggs after their first molt, but in most breeds, the second year eggs are significantly larger, so it evens out. I've never seen an appreciable difference in 3rd year production in hens allowed a "winter vacation " (no added lighting) compared to those encouraged to lay through the winter. After that, you're talking about an egg or two a week, no matter what, and unless you are emotionally attached, it just makes no economic sense.

Of course, it generally isn't going to save you a lot of money, no matter what (the current egg prices are an aberration, and should turn around significantly within a few months, although the cost of feed will likely mean you'll never see them for 29 cents a dozen again)... few home raised flocks are managed as tightly as commercial flocks. If you have other livestock, the hens can often utilize waste from those... grain they don't quite clean up, alfalfa leaves that fall out of feeders, and bugs and worms attracted by the manure. All of which can save money on chicken feed.

But most folks are going to default to buying most of their protein and energy, supplementing with garden extras and kitchen wasteful vitamins and minerals,,and that's going to cost cash. The alternatives, including raising soybeans and corn, plus pumpkins or other high carb veggies, not tor mention cooking those veggies for optimal absorption, are simply too time and energy (human energy) consuming to be practical.

Feed the best feed you can afford, use lights when needed, give them warm water and/or heated mashes in bitter weather, and enjoy the best production they can give for a couple of years. Then turn them into soup, stew and pet food (spent laying hens and old roosters make THE best chicken broth on earth) and start over with a new batch.

If you time it right, saving extra eggs in their second Spring and incubating them early, so the new pellets start laying about time the older girls are winding down in the fall, you'll never run short of eggs.

Summerthyme

 

[inskanoot]

Patara says no to supplemental lighting. She says that you’re going to get so many eggs and she questions tweaking (my term) farm animals. Also that it could be more risky, cause fires.

View: https://youtu.be/5xxIHpSymiU

Appalachia’s Homestead with Patara
Eggs: Not worth risking your life for
RT: 16:33 minutes

 

[Satanta]

Unless you are raising all their feed, or live in an environment where free ranging is both safe and productive, it's really silly to try to "extend their laying life", once they are beyond the age where they lay at least 4-5 eggs a week. I know some folks see them as pets, and that's fine, if you can afford it.

But on a practical basis, we've found that 2 years (which will include one molt, and will end up with them being about 3 1/2 years old) of laying is the most economically practical. This takes into account the cost of raising replacements, as well as the (minimal, if using LEDs) electricity cost for lighting.

They do lay fewer eggs after their first molt, but in most breeds, the second year eggs are significantly larger, so it evens out. I've never seen an appreciable difference in 3rd year production in hens allowed a "winter vacation " (no added lighting) compared to those encouraged to lay through the winter. After that, you're talking about an egg or two a week, no matter what, and unless you are emotionally attached, it just makes no economic sense.

Of course, it generally isn't going to save you a lot of money, no matter what (the current egg prices are an aberration, and should turn around significantly within a few months, although the cost of feed will likely mean you'll never see them for 29 cents a dozen again)... few home raised flocks are managed as tightly as commercial flocks. If you have other livestock, the hens can often utilize waste from those... grain they don't quite clean up, alfalfa leaves that fall out of feeders, and bugs and worms attracted by the manure. All of which can save money on chicken feed.

But most folks are going to default to buying most of their protein and energy, supplementing with garden extras and kitchen wasteful vitamins and minerals,,and that's going to cost cash. The alternatives, including raising soybeans and corn, plus pumpkins or other high carb veggies, not tor mention cooking those veggies for optimal absorption, are simply too time and energy (human energy) consuming to be practical.

Feed the best feed you can afford, use lights when needed, give them warm water and/or heated mashes in bitter weather, and enjoy the best production they can give for a couple of years. Then turn them into soup, stew and pet food (spent laying hens and old roosters make THE best chicken broth on earth) and start over with a new batch.

If you time it right, saving extra eggs in their second Spring and incubating them early, so the new pellets start laying about time the older girls are winding down in the fall, you'll never run short of eggs.

Summerthyme

I am not sure exactly how old these are-we got them from friends moving to Florida but I am thinking 2 years. Plan is to borrow the neighbors Rooster or get one in the Spring with some pullets.

I am sowing Winter Rye amd firled peas the Quinoa and Sorgum. Partly for us and partly for them along with corn and other things. Not sure FL has the mindsety to call them Food at the moment.

Me? There are a couple I like for different reasons but they are still Walking Nuggets. Did not get the as pets.

Free ranging not a good idea here-too open witth hawks and likely eagles. Not seen signs of other predators at this time tho I do have plans for the Egg Supply to be protected including electric fencing, live and leg traps plus I pee around the property

 

[mecoastie]

Patara says no to supplemental lighting. She says that you’re going to get so many eggs and she questions tweaking (my term) farm animals. Also that it could be more risky, cause fires.

View: https://youtu.be/5xxIHpSymiU

Appalachia’s Homestead with Patara
Eggs: Not worth risking your life for
RT: 16:33 minutes

Good wiring and LEDs will eliminate the fire threat. Most of that comes from folks who heat their coops with a heat lamp.

 

[LightEcho]

I am far enough north that if I don't light the coop, my hens stop laying from Nov thru March. Life span of these birds is pretty short whether lighted or not. I get 2.5 years per hen for laying. After that, the birds are not producing much. I like to hatch out a new batch each year but have skipped some years. Putting heaters in the coop is not recommended unless you are protecting baby chicks. All you need to provide is a shelter from wild animals, wind and rain.

 

[john70]

Patara says no to supplemental lighting. She says that you’re going to get so many eggs and she questions tweaking (my term) farm animals. Also that it could be more risky, cause fires.

View: https://youtu.be/5xxIHpSymiU

Appalachia’s Homestead with Patara
Eggs: Not worth risking your life for
RT: 16:33 minutes

in florida, we can install a light , in a chicken house, that is not a fire hazard. ymmv

 

[Wildwood]

If you need the eggs, keep the lights on. If the chicken dies for some reason, you've saved all those eggs for nothing plus there is the fact that there is an egg shortage and the price is extremely high right now. If yours quit laying, are you ready to pay $5 or more for a dozen?

You can get more chickens if they run out of eggs. I don't do lighting because ours are laying enough this year for us to have all we want and we use use a lot. Last winter they laid very few and if I'd had time to pursue lighting, I would have gone for it but instead I bought a few dozen eggs.

I'd definitely get a rooster and some pullets but don't count on your hens going broody. Certain breeds are better than others for hatching babies. I don't have a hen in my pens that's been broody in over two years but I'm trying to fix that. I'm getting hatching eggs for Buff Orpingtons in the early spring. I bought myself a small incubator a few years ago and it's great but I don't want to depend on it if TSHTF plus it's so much easier to let those mama's raise their own babies.

 

[Walrus Whisperer]

And IF somebody does go broody, she will peck you if you stick your hand in to check what she's sitting on.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

If you want a natural, live brooder - get a Silkie or Silkie bantam hen.

Those ladies are pretty much feathered incubators, for all practical purposes. I have a couple of ladies that are only half silkie, and every other month, either one or both of them go broody.

Full blooded silkies are even more incline to brood alot.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

I use LED lights, which I set up on a timer to provide 14 hours of light.

My girls do well.

Also, I have gotten to where I hatch new birds every spring. Every autumn - as the spring birds mature, I replace the two year old birds with the new birds. Each year, I am replacing exactly half of my flock - the older half.

Then I give most of the older birds to a local farmer for a 10% discount on feed prices. His wife turns the older birds into stew.

I do have a retirement village, for a select few that we keep past age 2. But I am looking for birds that can support themselves, and it does not matter if they grow under winter lights or not, hens just are not productive enough to earn their keep after 2 years of laying.