Why Have My Hens Stopped Laying Eggs?

Most laying breaks have ordinary causes: the yearly molt, short winter days, age, stress, a broody hen, or a diet that's heavy on treats. Check for a hidden nest or an egg thief too. If a hen stops laying and also seems unwell, that's different: call a vet who sees poultry.

Sometimes she's just on a break.

Work down the list; the common causes come first.

Laying breaks at a glance
Molt	Yearly feather change, often in fall; laying pauses
Daylight	Short days slow or stop laying
Age	Laying peaks early and then declines gradually
Stress	Predators, moves, new birds, heat
Broodiness	A hen sitting to hatch stops laying
Feed	Too many treats, too little layer feed

The Molt

Once a year, often as days shorten in fall (autumn), hens drop their old feathers and grow new ones. Feathers are mostly protein, so the body puts laying on hold. A light molt may barely show; a hard molt can leave a hen looking scruffy and eggless for weeks or longer.

Help her through it with a complete feed (some keepers switch to a higher-protein feed for the molt), shelter from wind and wet, and gentle handling, because new feather quills are tender.

Short Days

Laying is driven by day length. As days shorten, most hens slow down or stop, and they pick up again as the days lengthen in spring, with no change in care.

Some keepers add a light on a timer to stretch winter days and keep eggs coming. It's a personal choice, not a requirement; many prefer to let hens rest through the darker months. If you do add light, add it in the morning so the hens settle naturally at dusk.

Age

Hens lay best in their first year or two, then gradually lay less. There's no fixed age when they stop, and it varies with breed and the individual. A hen past her laying years still eats slugs, makes compost and keeps the flock company, and many keepers happily keep their older girls.

Stress, Broodiness and Feed

Stress: a fox at the fence, a move, new flock-mates, overcrowding, heat waves or a bird flu housing order can all pause laying for a while. It usually returns once things settle.
Broodiness: a hen that sits tight in the nest, fluffs up and grumbles when you reach in wants to hatch eggs and has stopped laying.
Feed: too many treats or too much grain leaves hens short of the protein and calcium that laying needs. Keep layer feed as the main diet; see chicken feed by age.

Laying, but Not Where You Look

Before you decide the eggs have stopped, check that they haven't moved. Free-ranging hens love a secret nest under a hedge. Rats, crows, magpies, snakes and other egg thieves take eggs, and so occasionally do the hens themselves. Collect eggs at least once a day and keep nest boxes inviting and dark.

The Law: Rules Differ by Country

Even a few pet hens can come with legal duties, mainly so that officials can reach keepers during a bird flu outbreak. Check what applies where you live before the birds arrive.

United Kingdom: In England and Wales you must register with APHA within one month of keeping poultry, whatever the number of birds and even if they are pets (see registering a small flock on gov.uk). Scotland has its own kept-bird register, and Northern Ireland keepers register with DAERA. During outbreaks, bird flu housing orders and prevention zones apply to backyard flocks too.
United States: There is no federal registration for backyard flocks, but city or county zoning often limits numbers, roosters and coop placement, and some states ask for premises registration. Your state department of agriculture or state veterinarian can tell you what applies.
Elsewhere: Ireland requires every poultry keeper, even with one or two birds, to register with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Canada (CFIA and your province), Australia (your state or territory agriculture department) and New Zealand (Ministry for Primary Industries) have their own rules, especially during bird flu outbreaks.

Kitchen scraps: don't feed kitchen scraps to poultry. In the UK and the EU it is illegal, even for pet hens and even for vegetable leftovers, and many other countries restrict it because food waste can spread serious animal diseases.

Rules change, so check with your national authority before you buy.

Helping Hens Through a Laying Break

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Layer pellets as the main feed and oyster shell on the side cover the basics of laying. A higher-protein poultry feed helps some hens through a hard molt. Ceramic or wooden dummy eggs show hens where to lay, washable nest pads keep nests comfortable, and a timer lets you control a coop light if you choose to use one.

When It's a Vet Question

Every cause above has one thing in common: apart from the missing eggs, the hen looks and behaves normally. If a hen stops laying and also seems unwell, for example quiet, hunched, off her food or not herself, that isn't a normal laying break. Separate her in a warm, quiet pen and call a vet who sees poultry.

Frequently Asked Questions

The follow-up questions keepers ask.

How long does a molt stop laying?

It varies from a few weeks to a couple of months or more. A hard molt with heavy feather loss usually means a longer break.

Should I put a light in the coop in winter?

It's up to you. A light on a timer can keep some hens laying, but many keepers let their hens rest through the short days. If you use one, add the light in the morning, not the evening.

At what age do hens stop laying?

There's no fixed age. Laying is best in the first year or two and then tapers off gradually, depending on breed and the individual hen.

Can feed changes stop laying?

Yes. Too many treats or too much grain, or switching away from a complete layer feed, can leave hens short of protein and calcium, and fewer eggs follow.

Do nest pads or dummy eggs make hens lay more?

No. They help hens choose the nest box and keep eggs clean and uncracked, but they don't change how often a hen lays.

How do I know if it's a molt or something more?

A molting hen loses and regrows feathers but stays bright, eats and acts normally. A hen that stops laying and also seems unwell needs a vet.