Tips to Keep Hens Laying in Winter
Winter can be a slow time for chickens Some hens will take a permanent break from laying eggs, while a select few lay once or twice a week
It can be disappointing to have chickens at home, but still have to buy store-bought eggs in the winter I certainly know the shame of buying eggs at the grocery store, when I have over 25 hens at home! Please know, this is cyclical and all part of mother nature Our chickens have to maintain their body conditions in the cold, and contend with less sunlight Their energy goes into surviving, and
Lights Put More Eggs in the Nest
All of today’s hundreds of chicken breeds originated from wild birds stalking the jungles of Southeast Asia Their distant ancestors were adapted to a hot, humid climate close to the equator where day length doesn’t vary much throughout the year
It’s a wonder these formerly tropical animals can survive cold dark winters, but the plucky birds do just fine when the temperature drops and days shorten as winter grips the north There is a problem Decreasing daylight as fall progresses causes egg production to drop off It doesn’t cease but slows just as the winter baking season starts
Fortunately, hens can
Managing Egg Production During Shorter Days
The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer
If you’re a backyard chicken keeper, maybe your flock is going through their molt, or their egg production is going down with the shorter days A chicken’s egg production slows depending on the amount of light they are getting during the day
In the fall and winter, there is less natural light causing egg production to slow down If you want to encourage egg production, you will need to provide a light source to ensure your chickens are getting between 12 to 16 hours of light a day
This can be