# Chickens on strike



## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

My first winter with chickens....and they shut down the laying for the past few days. 

Is that normal? 

They have very good protection from the elements...but no source of external heat. 

Even the guineas are talking less...and that's saying something, LOL.


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## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

I don't know for sure, but these may be some things to look at. My only experience with laying hens was on a commercial level. I was on the sales management/marketing end, so my production education wasn't totally complete. 

In larger barns, there are enough chickens per cubic yard, that they will raise the temp enough with there own body heat to keep them happy. I don't remember what that ratio was though. No addition heat is necessary. Just stopping ALL of the drafts. This is in Minnesota winters by the way. If you have stopped all drafts, I'd guess that this isn't your issue.

We had to give them artificial light during the short days of winter to keep them producing at their peak. The days are the shortest now, plus there have been a lot of gloomy (low light) days. For top production, we keep them on 16 hours of light all winter. This matched their summer light schedule. These weren't dim lights. We recreated daylight. Maybe compromise with just some extra light.

Hope that something here might help. Good luck Meadowlark


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Thanks Dick. I think you have something there. Haven't seen the sun shine here in several days. Not much light at all. 

Guess I'll skip breakfast until the sun starts shining again.


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## chuck leaman (Jul 15, 2004)

Yep. Winter = less eggs. I'm down from 18-20 a day to 8-10.


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

Put you a light on a timer, will take a week or so BUT it will be business as usual....


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## peckerwood (Jun 9, 2012)

Ya,the harshest time of winter always slows down egg production.I worked at a chicken farm when in highschool that produced fertile eggs for breeders.The chickens layed all summer,and slowed way down with the first hard norther.The turkeys were past prime by Oct. and sold to meat producers,and the process started all over with baby chicks,I think about Feb.Been about 45 years ago,but that seems right.They never stopped laying,but would slow down until they got use to all the sides on the barns being closed.Like Dick said,they didn't need heat.


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## Big Guns 1971 (Nov 7, 2013)

I have 9 hens and get 4 to 5 eggs a day right now. get 8 to 9 in summer. I'm feeding 20 percent laying granules and nothing else


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## pshay4 (Aug 18, 2005)

It takes a set number of hours of light to produce an egg. The weather changes will also affect your birds. One thing people don't consider is that the birds need a constant supply of water. If your water freezes or runs out, you have interrupted the laying cycle. They don't need supplemental heat, but a draft-free, dry space is essential. This is the only time of year I feed any corn. I throw out a little scratch grains everyday and let them work to get it. I try to broadcast some rye grass seed to supply green grass during the winter. I supplement layer crumbles with kitten chow, whole oats, and wheat germ oil. I do the latter for viable hatching eggs.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

pshay4 said:


> ... This is the only time of year I feed any corn. I throw out a little scratch grains everyday and let them work to get it. ....


Great observation. My birds switched preference back about Nov. to scratch grains and away from the pellets. Interesting to see that others do this also.


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## monkeyman1 (Dec 30, 2007)

Only getting 2 eggs/day out of 7 hens right now. I have a heat lamp in their shelter and the north side blocked off, but doesn't matter.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Chickens don't need heat in Texas. They love the cold & hate the heat. Its the amount of light. I personally don't force them to lay. They need time off from laying.
If you've noticed its been overcast forever. Forgot to mention Block the wind no one likes cold wind blowing on them not even chickens.


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## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

Rubberback said:


> Chickens don't need heat in Texas. They love the cold & hate the heat. Its the amount of light. I personally don't force them to lay. They need time off from laying.
> If you've noticed its been overcast forever. Forgot to mention Block the wind no one likes cold wind blowing on them not even chickens.


 If you plan on having your laying hens in production for more than 1 year, the "lower light" slow down in laying is probably necessary for them to stay in shape.

In our operation, the hens were only in the laying barns for one year. 
Pullets, that were starting to lay, were brought in just 2 days after the old ones were moved out. The 2 days were used for cleaning and disinfecting, plus and any repair needed in the barn. The new Pullets were de-beaked and multi-vaccinated as they were put in the barns.

Each hen would lay around 340 to 350 eggs in that year. They were push hard. It's unfortunate that the producers got beat up for pushing them this hard. Unfortunately, large grocery chains and food service providers wouldn't pay even a 1/10 cent extra per dozen eggs, from a chicken laying in a friendlier environment. They didn't care, because their customers wanted the lowest price. 99% of egg sales are treated like a commodity.

Only the lowest cost producers stay in business, for the long haul.

It is sad what happen to hens pushed this hard. As a kid, helping on my Grandparents poultry farm, I saw some of these changes taking place. Back then, the chickens were given ground oyster shells to raise their calcium intake to form egg shells. At the end of the year, the hens were sold for 4 cents/pound to a processor. They were used in chicken soups, etc.

Now, the hens can't even take up calcium fast enough. Toward the end their year, their bodies start to steal calcium from their bones to make egg shells. Now, at the end, the bones are so brittle and thin, that the meat can't be used for human consumption. The bones "sliver" too easily.

This was probably more than anyone wanted to know..... Sorry Meadowlark, didn't mean to hijack. Just wanted to point out the down side to too much light and forcing chickens.


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