How to keep my flock laying through winter??

[MrsJewelsRae]

We have 8 layers and they are awesome, we get at least 5 eggs a day, they are about 7 months old. We are in Ontario Canada , they have a chicken coop which is a room in the back of the old barn, with one door to the outside and 2 windows covered in plexiglass and glass. There is electricity in there, but it is likely going to be pretty cold, and even a bit drafty. Is it more of a question of light or heat or both? I can simply arrange for them to have adequate amounts of light by leaving their light on and getting a timer installed on it, but heat...? Not sure I can remedy that too much, though I could hang a heat lamp in their pen, but not sure how much that will up my hydro bill...
Any tips?

[Erinz]

I can't speak to the temperature issue so much (we're in temperate California) but I've been pondering the how to get them to lay through the winter question. We went through a good solid month last year with no eggs, and then another few months of limited eggs and I had to actually BUY EGGS which I find disgusting. This year we've been selling eggs in order to pay for the expensive whole grain mix we make ourselves and in order to cover cost of feed alone I need to sell a minimum of 5 dozen eggs a week, and the chickens are already below that number and we haven't even reached the solstice. SO>...... although I totally get the stance of no artificial lighting in order to respect that the chickens need a natural rest period and to keep their natural rhythms which will help them live longer and healthier, I figure keeping them on their whole sprouted grains balances the addition of a light. Keep their protein up (if you aren't feeding a pellet I mean) and add some light. I'm fairly certain that chickens can weather a variety of temperatures (esp if they are a small comb type) but since I've never had to deal with it I haven't looked to far into it.

Good luck!

[*farmergirl*]

I find my hens lay through the winter but at a reduced rate. I'm in Maine (central east coast) and we block the drafts but have no additional heat or light source. They will need plenty of food to keep themselves warm tho. We have experimented with a heat lamp but found the cost was way higher than the benefits and placement was hard-didn't want to risk fire but we needed it so low to even feel it that they were hitting it all the time.Plus only the chickens nearest to it/pretty much right under it benefited the rest were out in the cold anyways and once they get use to it they come to rely on it. A regular light would probably help more as egg laying is regulated by the amount of daylight (not warmth) just be sure not to give them too much as this can cause other problems like aggression towards each other and dealing with cannibalism is not fun. I'd focus on food and unfrozen water and blocking drafts after that a light with timer.They deal with the cold quite well (and have for many years before people had electricity to heat the coop) and generally frost bite is not a big issue. A small percentage of the hens will get the tips a little frozen, our roosters have more of an issue but it's always resolved on it's own-once I had to put vaseline on it to stop curious hens from pecking at it. If you do treat it you need to warm it very slowly and expect bleeding and then prevent it from re freezing-usually it's easier to check for infection and let it naturally die back on it's own.

[mattemma04]

My red sex link hens laid last winter.They are in a metal shed,non insulated except for straw bales.Lighting was very poor. I just cut 2 small squares in the walls and taped some plexi glass in place. I plan to cut more holes for plexi.I read light is the most important,so I was suprised my hens laid so much in the dark!