Why Are There Fewer Pasture-Raised Eggs in the Winter?

If you’ve noticed fewer pasture-raised eggs available this time of year, there’s a simple reason: shorter days mean fewer eggs. Chickens’ laying cycles are directly tied to daylight. As the days get shorter in fall and winter, hens naturally slow down or even stop laying altogether. This isn’t a problem—it’s part of their natural rhythm, giving them time to rest and recover. In large-scale industrial operations, artificial lighting is used to override this natural cycle, forcing hens to lay year-round. While it keeps production up, it comes at a cost to the birds' health and well-being. Pasture-raised hens, on the other hand, live according to the seasons. They spend their days outdoors, foraging, dust bathing, and behaving like chickens should. That also means they lay eggs when nature allows, not when a factory demands it. This is one of the ways you can tell whether eggs are truly pasture-raised. If someone is selling an abundance of "pasture-raised" eggs in the dead of winter, it’s worth asking how they’re getting them. At a farm that follows natural cycles, egg production slows down, and availability reflects that. For us, transparency is key. When eggs are plentiful in the warmer months, we have them. When they’re scarce in the winter, we don’t force it. It’s just another way we let nature lead the way. Eat As If Your Life Depends On It [fusion_button link="https://tynerpondfarm.com/shop" title="" target="_self" link_attributes="" aria_role_button="0" alignment_medium="" alignment_small="" alignment="" modal="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" sticky_display="normal,sticky" class="" id="" color="default" button_gradient_top_color_hover="" hue="" saturation="" lightness="" alpha="" button_gradient_top_color="" button_gradient_bottom_color_hover="" button_gradient_bottom_color="" gradient_start_position="" gradient_end_position="" gradient_type="" radial_direction="" linear_angle="" accent_hover_color="" accent_color="" type="" bevel_color="" bevel_color_hover="" border_top="" border_right="" border_bottom="" border_left="" border_radius_top_left="" border_radius_top_right="" border_radius_bottom_right="" border_radius_bottom_left="" border_hover_color="" border_color="" size="" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" fusion_font_family_button_font="" fusion_font_variant_button_font="" font_size="" line_height="" letter_spacing="" text_transform="" stretch="default" margin_top="" margin_right="" margin_bottom="" margin_left="" icon="" icon_position="left" icon_divider="no" hover_transition="none" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_color="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_delay="0" animation_offset=""]Shop With Purpose[/fusion_button]