As noted above, egg production is indeed proportional to daylight and related factors. Contrary to what some do by illuminating a coop to mitigate the natural winter's decline, we have always aligned with Ma Nature and allowed the free-range girls to have a much needed rest during that time betwixt Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day when natural nutritional resources are also at an ebb. As a result, we have some of our flock that are nearly a decade old and still produce a beautiful egg every day or two during spring/summer....

Pro Tips:

As layers age, or get stressed, they start to lose the natural yellow pigmentation (carotene) in their beak, skin, hocks, feet, vent and eye ring in what is referred to as bleaching. Their combs and egg yolks will similarly pale. If one does force winter laying, keep a close eye for any signs of such bleaching. If one is using an incandescent light bulb to heat a coop in the winter to keep combs from freezing, they need to build a better coop or change breeds for ones with smaller combs. In the PNW, most breeds will do just fine with a coop that shelters them from night time predators and winter winds.

Should one have the opportunity to eat an uppity roo, make soup and simmer the carcass/stock for at least 3 hours. Blanch the hocks/feet and peel the scaly skin/nails before adding them to the stock (According to traditional Chinese medicine, birds hold their Qi in their feet, thus "dragon claws" at such restaurants). Onions, garlic, ginger root, carrots, celery, a dash of tamari sauce and whatever else works for you will make for a tender chicken soup and/or sandwich meat. The free range layer/dual purpose breeds are not tender like the caged Cornish X fryers that one buys at Safeway.