My hibernation instincts awoke (that's ironic) when the first snow fell. Which got me thinking about... no, not bears curled up in their winter caves... but chickens!
Chickens don't really lay eggs in the winter. Light triggers egg laying, and during the winter the reduction in natural light causes hens to almost entirely cease laying. If you're eating eggs (from light-reduced regions) in the winter, the chickens are being forced to lay due to artificial indoor lighting.
The hens don't get to enjoy nature's pre-planned vacation. I personally feel that if nature intended for the hens to take a rest, then I'm not the one to mess with it. It's also more environmentally friendly not to run artificial lights all winter long. Plus, as a woman, I am particularly sympathetic to the idea of... laying an egg... every day. I'm not sure what the human equivalent would be, but no matter, I still sympathize.
At least those lucky ladies at Antiquity Oaks get to hibernate like me in the winter!
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Aw, thanks! Yes, they've pretty much completely stopped laying. I have less than two dozen eggs in the frig, so I'm thinking very carefully about when to use them, since we won't be getting more until March.
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