Hens lay on protein, calcium and daylight, and they stop laying for the same three reasons. This guide takes what Laucke Mills, Barastoc and CopRice publish about feeding backyard chickens and turns it into a year-round routine: the everyday diet, what changes when eggs drop off in autumn, how to feed through the moult and winter, and the extras that help gut health and shell quality. Product facts come from the makers' pages or the product listings.
The everyday diet that produces eggs
A complete layer food, fed ad lib, is the whole answer for most flocks. Barastoc puts a laying hen's protein need at 15 to 19 percent crude protein depending on how many eggs she produces, her age, feed intake and whether she is moulting; its layer feeds sit at 15 percent (Golden Yolk) and 16.5 percent (Champion Layer, Top Layer Mash) with 4 percent calcium, and the expected intake is 120 to 130 g per bird per day with continuous access to feed. Laucke's Red Hen Layer is 15 percent protein with 4 percent calcium and linoleic acid at a minimum 1.3 percent, which Laucke includes for egg size; Red Hen 17 lifts protein to 17 percent. Both makers say the same two things: feed it from point of lay at about 18 weeks, and keep clean, fresh water available at all times.
Laucke's warning on protein is worth keeping: the protein level on the bag can mislead, because a 20 percent protein diet will not perform as well as a balanced 15 percent diet if any essential amino acid is short. Buy a formulated layer food rather than trying to build one from grain and scraps.
What quietly reduces egg numbers
- Too many scraps and too much grain. Laucke: hens will enjoy household scraps, grass and lawn clippings, but it may be necessary to restrict access to these to prevent nutritional imbalances. Barastoc's winter article puts grain treats at less than 10 percent of the daily diet, about 13 g for a hen eating 130 g. Barastoc's moulting article adds that food scraps are often high in water and dilute the effectiveness of the feed.
- Scratch mix as the main feed. Laucke lists Red Hen Scratch at 12 percent protein and 1 percent calcium and intends it for free-range hens with pasture. Our pellets vs scratch vs mash guide covers this in detail.
- Not enough calcium. Offer shell grit free choice alongside the layer food. McMahon's listing describes shell grit as calcium carbonate, the main component of an eggshell, and notes hens draw heavily on calcium during lay: McMahon Medium Shell Grit or Green Valley Shellgrit.
- Worms and parasites. Laucke notes that rate of lay, egg size, yolk colour and shell quality can all be affected by worm burdens, and recommends checking hens regularly for lice and mites.
- Wasted feed. Laucke recommends a feeder that stops hens scratching feed onto the ground, raised to about head height so they cannot flick it out.
Autumn and the moult
Laucke explains the pattern: laying hens respond to day length, so during autumn and early winter, as days shorten, hens lay fewer eggs or stop and go into a moult, a natural cycle in which the hen stops laying, sheds a large amount of old feathers and grows new ones, then starts a new cycle of lay. Barastoc puts the timing at March to May and the length at 6 to 8 weeks, and explains why laying stops: feathers are about 85 percent protein and eggs also draw on the hen's protein reserves, so she cannot do both at once.
Feeding through the moult, per Barastoc: a high-quality feed high in protein, such as Champion Layer or Top Layer Mash, with continuous ad lib access to feed and water, and limited scraps. Laucke's Red Hen 17 at 17 percent protein is the equivalent in its range. Extra protein now is what gets the hen back into lay in spring in good condition rather than thin.
If you would rather keep eggs coming, Laucke describes the lighting option: using a light in the hen house to create a constant day length of about 16 hours can prevent hens from decreasing production during autumn and winter, and a household timer can switch it automatically. It is a choice, not a requirement; many owners let the birds rest.
Winter
Barastoc's winter article: a feed that provides adequate amounts of both energy and protein will help the hen maintain her body temperature, because as the temperature drops she burns fat, carbohydrate and protein to stay warm, and heat generation depends on the quantity and quality of feed. Its recommendations are a complete feed such as Top Layer or Champion Layer, grain treats under 10 percent of the diet for a little extra energy, and water checked every morning in frosty areas because a frozen trough cuts feed intake. Laucke's Red Hen Free Range Layer, coated with vegetable oil and molasses, is its high-energy layer for the same reason.
Gut health, yolk colour and shells
- Gut health: Barastoc's Golden Yolk includes PoultryStar probiotics for gut health; CopRice's Lucky Layer is a vegetarian pellet with marigold extract and no added hormones or antibiotics.
- Yolk colour: Laucke says access to green grass, which contains natural colouring pigments, will enhance yolk colour, and its layer foods use marigold and paprika pigments for the same effect.
- Shell quality: the 4 percent calcium in the layer food plus free-choice shell grit; CopRice's Premium Layer is formulated with what CopRice describes as high calcium and an optimum calcium to phosphorus ratio for eggshell quality.
- Enrichment: a peck block such as Olsson's Perfect Pecker, which carries shell grit and vitamins and is fed alongside a complete feed, and dried mealworms as an occasional protein treat within the 10 percent.
Chicks and pullets
Laucke's recommendation: chick starter crumbles ad lib to 6 weeks (Red Hen Chick, 23 percent protein, medication free), then a pullet grower from 6 weeks to point of lay (Barastoc Pullet Grower or Green Valley Open Range Pullet Starter), then the layer food from about 18 weeks. Feeding layer food to chicks, or starter to layers, matches neither.
Frequently asked questions
What should I feed chickens to lay more eggs?
A complete layer food at 15 to 17 percent protein and about 4 percent calcium, fed ad lib with fresh water, with scraps and grain treats kept under 10 percent of the diet. That is the makers' shared answer; nothing added to a poor base diet makes up for it.
Why have my chickens stopped laying in autumn?
Day length. Laucke: as days shorten in autumn and early winter, hens lay fewer eggs or stop and moult. Barastoc: the moult usually runs March to May for 6 to 8 weeks. Feed a higher-protein layer food through it and they return to lay in spring.
What do I feed chickens when they are moulting?
Barastoc: a high-protein complete feed such as Champion Layer or Top Layer Mash, ad lib feed and water, limited scraps. Feathers are about 85 percent protein.
Do chickens need more feed in winter?
Barastoc: they need adequate energy and protein to hold body temperature, so keep the complete feed available at all times, allow grain treats under 10 percent, and check water is not frozen each morning.
Do chickens need shell grit if the layer feed has calcium?
The layer food carries the calcium for shells; grit offered free choice covers the extra a heavy layer draws on and gives the gizzard grit to grind grain. Offer it in a separate container so hens self-regulate.
Shop next: Poultry Feed · Barastoc Champion Layer · Laucke Red Hen 17 · McMahon Shell Grit · Poultry Health
Sources
Product facts in this guide are taken from the manufacturers' own pages listed below and from the product listings on this site; general care points are given as practical guidance, not veterinary advice. Last reviewed 17 September 2026.
- Laucke Mills: Poultry feeds booklet (feeding and management hints)
- Laucke Mills: Red Hen Layer
- Barastoc Poultry: Protein for laying hens
- Barastoc Poultry: Moulting in laying hens
- Barastoc Poultry: Winter feeding
- Barastoc Poultry: Golden Yolk
- CopRice: Lucky Layer