Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

I just plugged my timer in, so its ready for the shorter days. I think I remember that 14 hrs a day is optimal for laying. Anyone know if that is correct? Thinking I will set it to come on in the mornings about 5,30 or six. See if I can get more than three eggs from twenty some hens. Three broody right now. Got no mature rooster, but soon. No I don't want a mature, just have to deal with him in a month or so. Going to maybe find some fertile eggs from a neighbor.

14 hrs is the optimum, anything above that does not improve the laying rate. Personally I let the girls slack off a bit especially because they are moulting and I put on light for 12 hrs. The critical time for ensuring the light is correct is when you have pullets just coming into lay when you would be increasing the light steadily each week until you get to 14 hrs.

Morning all . My ? is who figures this stuff out & what kinda life do they have .

Made me look, no kidding it's true.
Perhaps a very bored genius mathematician ?

We turned on our timer this week too: on at 6:00, and off an hour after sunset. It gives me time to do the morning and evening stuff before and after work. The egg laying is already slowing down anyway because of the shorter days and/or start of moult and/or age. That's okay with me. My doctor thinks I'm eating too many eggs anyway.

My timers were on a month ago. On at 5:30 off at 815. I had 13 eggs on Tuesday, another 7 yesterday. I always get messed up when daylight saving time happens and don't get me started on That topic...lol

I have a timer but haven't used it in 5 years. Decided that it suits me better to just let them do as mother nature tells them to do. Only one of my standard size chickens has moulted so far so I'm still averaging 5 eggs a day from 9 active layers. Waiting on 9 pullets to fire up and give me eggs but some of them might not until spring now. Time to start hoarding! Stella the Cochin has gone broody for about the 5th time this year but she lasts between 1-2 weeks and then gives up so I've stopped worrying about her.

I never change the timers with the hour thingy, why mess up the birds. Here it's always on DST.

My timer is not a clock, so I don't have to reset it for DST. Its set for six am now but it doesn't know it. When DST goes away it will be set for 5 with no adjustment. I like the KISS principle. Keep it simple, stupid.

somewhere here is an old thread about a coop with a clear roof (polycarb panels) and WWW had a greenhouse with a coop inside and they kept the eggs flowing regardless of daylight hours.

Hey WWW, did you ever move that greenhouse to the “new”place?