NIGHT &DAYLIGHT

One of the biggest influences on your hens' health is a star in the sky.

Poultry – like all birds - are naturally seasonal creatures. Their bodies respond to increasing and decreasing hours of sunlight (or to artificial light if kept in windowless sheds). In late July, birds respond to longer days by mating and laying eggs. When daylight hours begin to fall in late December, it's the signal to wean their chicks, moult their feathers, and prepare for winter. Some bird species do this by flying away to warmer climates. Poultry grow denser layers of insulator feathers and increase their fat levels.

Why the super layers are so super

Domestic poultry has been affected by hundreds of years of breeding decisions by humans as we've developed birds

Their natural response has been affected by breeding decisions taken by humans.

with higher and higher egg production capabilities. Poultry selectively bred to lay a high number of eggs (250-300+) in a year – hybrid commercial hens (Hyline, Shaver) and some light heritage breeds – are less affected when daylight hours reduce. They continue laying long past where most other breeds of poultry stop, especially in their first 12 months of laying (aged 18-70 weeks). They're also far less likely to go ‘broody.' This is when a burst of hormones stops the laying process and prepares the hen's body for incubation of her eggs.

The not-so-super layers

Breeds selected for meat growth (known as ‘heavy' breeds) or both meat and egg production (dual-purpose) tend to have a much stronger seasonal instinct to lay a 'clutch'. This is 20-30 eggs that they'll then want to incubate. Once they've laid a clutch, they often go 'broody', sit on their eggs, and stop laying. If you can prevent them from going broody, they may lay another 20-30 eggs starting in late December-early January. However, many tend to start moulting quite soon after daylight hours begin to shorten (December 22-23). By March-April, moulting is in full swing. By May, some birds will have a whole new set of feathers. However, they still won't resume laying until daylight hours start to increase.

Light it up

All of these functions in the hen are controlled by light. Light stimulates: the retinas in the eyes; the pineal gland (deep inside the brain, which controls melatonin, which runs a bird's biological clock); the pituitary gland (at the base of the brain), known as the ‘master' gland for its effect on the body's systems and organs. When there's enough hours of light in a day, they all combine to turn on the hormones and other functions required for laying to start. In contrast, decreasing hours of daylight in late summer turns them off.