There's No People like Chicken People

Got a phone call the other day from a dear elderly lady to whom I sold three chickens in the spring. "I was hoping I could buy some more chickens from you- my hens have stopped laying and I sure miss the eggs." (She must not have many chicken friends except me, for this is the forlorn story of every chicken keeper come winter all over the land.) Visiting my friend's farm in Virginia we combed her fields looking for a hiding spot. "Surely they can't just have stopped laying completely!" Sent 7 kids into the barn to search high and low there. Yielded a dozen eggs. Talking with strangers at a 4H Horse Composition Class- "Yes, we just put up lights to get the required amount of daylight. But my husband expects me to go turn them on and off at the right times and it's driving me crazy. Still no improvement in the egg numbers." At the farmer's market in Waxhaw: "My grandpa's hens haven't been laying for months now." And in my own chicken house: a lonely brown egg, the only production for a flock of over 60 hens. Roast chicken, anyone?! Just kidding....My family would kill me. Although with a feed bill of about 100/ month, I WOULD like to see some eggs. I put up lights middle of last week and installed the timer today, so I WON'T have to go turn them on and off.

So back to my dear friend..... I inquired, ever so politely, "Do you have any lights on in their house? They need at least 14 hours of daylight to produce eggs." She replied, "No, I don't. Wouldn't that keep them awake at night? I am fond of my birds and would hate to disturb them." I assured her that only a low watt bulb is necessary and that most chickens are not kept awake by light. I also told her she could use a timer to turn the light on and off to only the hours necessary to make up the 14 hours needed. She said, "Oh, well that would be easy because I already have a heater on a timer out in the chicken house." A HEATER! I thought. Keep in mind it has only been 40-50's at night here and these are adult birds that she has. I cannot imagine her electric bill. I then reassured her that with their feathers, the birds did NOT need a heater as they had each other to huddle next to for warmth. "Oh, that would be save me SO much money!" I was struck by how chickens bring out the caretaker in us all tonight as I looked at my puffed out ladies on their roosts and wondered if maybe I need to put in a heater myself. Hee Hee.
I DID sell her three new pullets (young hens) this morning and was able to reassure them as I stuffed them into the dog crate, "Relax, honey - you're going to someone who is going to treat you very well and love you more than I ever could." Somehow, they didn't seem reassured but continued scolding and squawking as fiercely as ever. Oh well. My friend will have them won over in no time. That's just how chicken people are.