Changing seasons and eggs

When the seasons change, so change my chickens' behavior.  Right now is kind of tough, but we're working through it.

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that I was only getting 2 eggs per day, instead of my typical 4-6.  Of course, I started worrying.  Are my chickens sick?  Molting?  Mad?  Scared?  After a few days I realized that as the days were growing shorter so was their outside time.  They were waking later and sleeping earlier.

A chicken needs approximately 14 hours of light per day in order to maintain a near-daily laying cycle.  Right now my area we are down to 10 hours and 41 minutes of daylight.  That's not enough light for ample egg production, folks!

I have several options here.  Since it's getting cooler, I can put both a heat lamp and a light in the coop.  That simulates daylight, which will amp up their egg production.  I can also leave nature as it is, and when the days start growing longer, know that I will have eggs again.

It's a tough decision!  I love my eggs!  I made a delicious quiche the other night...I love skillet egg salad boiled eggs...I love eggs.  But I also love my chickens.  Chickens are born with only a certain number of eggs they can lay.  Once they're gone, that's it.  So do I basically shorten their egg laying span, or do I let nature take its course?  

For this week, it will be status quo.  I'm not changing anything.  However, if my surplus starts to run low, I may change my mind for a bit.  What would you do?  

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