Artificial Light Boosts Hen Egg Production

This time of year I get phone calls from small flock and backyard egg producers regarding why egg production of hens is going down. This is a common phenomenon during this time of year. First of all, there are two environmental things happening. At this time of year, the natural day length has been declining since the longest day of the year, which was June 20. In addition to this, the outside temperature is becoming cooler. Both of these factors play havoc with hens laying eggs. Before we explain why these two factors play a big role in hens maintaining good egg production, we must discuss why hens react to these factors. First of all, laying hens are very photo responsive. This means that they need a constant amount of light to stimulate and maintain good egg production. There is a day length of light that is called the threshold of light, which is around 12 hours. Read more