We’ve been told that the chickens will stop laying in the shorter, colder days of winter here in New England. We are in the midst of a pretty good cold spell now, and it doesn’t look to get above 15° for the next week. Nighttime lows have been sub zero with the barn getting down to 10 or 12 degrees.
So far the girls are earning their keep. The “easter-egger” breeds have slowed a bit, but we continue to get 14 to 16 eggs a day from 29 hens.
In order to help keep them warm, we give them scratch grains right before they are ready to roost for the night. The process of digesting the grains raises their body temperature.
Fresh Eggs Daily