Why Your Hens Stop Laying in Autumn (And What to Do About It)

Opened the nest box this week and found nothing but straw? You're not alone. Across the country, hens have quietly clocked off for the autumn 🍂

Two things are happening at once. Hens moult in autumn, and feathers are about 85 per cent protein — so the energy that was going into shells and yolks is now going into a new coat. At the same time, daylight has dropped below the fourteen-ish hours most hens need to keep ovulating. Both are normal. Both resolve.

The useful move is a feed tweak. Swapping layers pellets for a grower or all-round poultry feed at 18–20 per cent protein for the duration of the moult genuinely helps feathers regrow, and cutting back on corn stops you diluting the ration. Keep oyster shell out separately either way.

Before you settle in to wait, rule out the sneaky stuff: a hidden nest under the hedge, an egg eater with a yolky beak, or red mite in the perch ends (check after dark with a torch). And handle moulting birds gently — those spiky pin feathers have a blood supply and really do hurt.

Full guide covers artificial lighting and whether it's fair, how laying drops with age, and the symptoms that mean this isn't just the season.

Link's below.