Regulate Egg Production During The Winter

A chicken's innate sense of when to awaken and when to sleep is dependent upon the amount of daylight that they are exposed to. During the winter, the sun sets earlier and young chickens will be inclined to turn in for the night. If your chickens are being raised in a coop, the addition of LED lighting, insulating materials, and special snacks will regulate egg laying schedules and will keep your pets warm and content.

Activity Levels

If egg production is the reason that you have chosen to raise chickens, you may have taken note of how active your young brood was during this past summer. On days when the sun is shining for many hours, chickens tend to spend ample time congregating outdoors and perching in their coop. Once the days begin to grow shorter, a chicken's schedule adjusts to the abbreviated hours.

The use of supplemental lighting will allow you to mimic natural sunlight. Purchase LED lighting that utilizes a low-wattage bulb. Suspend the lighting from the coop's ceiling. Some LED lighting setups include a timer. A timer will allow you to preprogram when the LED light turns on and off.

Lighting should be supplied during predawn hours. Several hours of additional light each day may prompt your chickens to lay as many eggs as they did during the longest days of the year.

Insulation, Ventilation, And A Modified Diet

Chickens can withstand cold temperatures, but should not be subjected to deep freezes or high winds. Just like humans, chickens can suffer from frostbite. Insulating the chicken coop will keep your chickens warm throughout the evening and overnight hours.

Use straw, hay, or another natural insulator to prevent the loss of heating along the flooring and interior walls. Your chickens may burrow in the hay or straw that is spread across the floor. All of the natural materials can be composted when they become soiled.

Avoid using a heater, since this could start a fire. Provide your flock with ventilation. An adjustable flap or sliding cover that is built into the coop's rooftop will allow carbon dioxide and ammonia fumes to exit the premises.

Providing your chickens with a modified diet throughout the winter will provide them with the sustenance needed to endure colder temperatures. A modified diet will keep your flock healthy and satisfied, which may prompt them to lay eggs more regularly. Offer cracked corn, cooked broccoli, and oatmeal. These staples can be given right at sunset. The food products should be added to your chicken's normal diet. 

To learn more, check out websites like Chickens.org or similar sites.

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