Lights on for the layers this winter

Winter is coming and you dread the drop in egg production. Luckily, it's easy and cheap to fix by adding lights to your coop.

These simple steps should keep the girls laying all the way to spring:

Source: Wikimedia Commons

1. Set a timer to turn the light on in the early morning and shut off shortly after sunrise.

2. Don’t have the light come on at dusk. The hens will be walking around and will all of sudden be in the dark. Just think how you would act if you are walking in your house and suddenly the lights go out.

3. Artificial and natural light should total about 14 hours per day.

4. Lighting does not have to be fancy or extremely bright. The light should be enough to read by, but not enough to confuse pilots of passing airplanes.

While you're out installing lights, don't forget to check for drafts in the chicken pens to prevent frozen eggs this winter, too.


As always, post further questions in the comments section.

--Dale aka Turkeyman