Number of daylight hours for egg production

[Barry42001]

How many hours of light do chicken need to resume egg laying. Besides going through a molt most are done with but soon shortest days of winter approaching. Winter soltice dec 21 days will naturally lengthen. But how much light do they need to get productive again. To go from 16 to 18 eggs a day from 19 hens to 6 or less I have to do something. Installed a light in run leaving it on till 9PM see what happens.

 

[azygous]

I've found that twelve hours is pretty much the cut-off. But that doesn't preclude some hardy breeds from laying all through winter in spite of the depressingly short days. This is especially true of young hens and pullets that managed to get in just under the wire to begin laying just as the days were getting shortened.

When I supplement light, usually waiting until the days begin to lengthen after January, I only add enough hours of light to total twelve hours. I've found this is enough to get those who are going to lay started up again.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Not only do hens need light (14 hours of UV is ideal) the roosters fertility and vital energy is also at a low ebb during the late Fall, Winter, and even into the early Spring.

 

[RonP]

Do a quick search on Winter lighting.

Chickens need a minimum of 12 hours per day

 

[aart]

Yes, minimum of 12 hours....and it needs to be consistent by using a timer.
Here's a pretty good article on supplemental lighting.

 

[PixelPie]

Well we're down to 11 hours of daylight per day and my girls are still laying, some every day. I even had two young pullets start laying in the last couple of days. They need plenty of good food in Winter and they'll keep laying