Overheard a guy at the feed store say chickens don't need light in winter

He said his hens lay steady through December with just a 15 watt bulb on a timer for 3 extra hours, and after trying it for 2 weeks my flock went from 2 eggs a day to 6, has anyone else seen that big a jump from something that simple?

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wright.taylor1mo ago

Fifteen watts sounds low but it's really about tricking their brains. Tried the same thing after my neighbor swore by it. She had a bulb hanging from a bungee cord over the waterer so they didn't bump it. First three days got nothing which made me think she was messing with me. Then day four they laid four eggs, by day six it was seven. The timer part matters more than the bulb, if you leave it on all night they get spooked and stop laying again. It's weird how picky they are about the schedule thing.