I finally figured out why my hens stopped laying in July

I was up in Portland visiting my sister last summer and stopped by her neighbor's coop. The guy had this simple setup with a timer on a light bulb in the coop. He said 14 hours of light keeps them laying through summer molts. I went home and rigged a cheap timer from Home Depot for $12. Within 3 days my girls were back to giving me 5 eggs a day instead of 1 or 2. Has anyone else tried this or do you just let nature take its course?

2 comments

2 Comments

lilyb271mo ago

Little bit of artificial light never hurt anyone, keeps the egg basket full in winter too.

terry_walker1mo ago

Oh, careful there - too much light can actually stress them out and mess with their laying rhythm.