It’s All Change In The Hen House!

If you’ve been following us for a while, you’ll know that eggs are a big part of life here at

Townhead Farm. From grading sessions and morning collections to our egg rounds and

market stalls, they’ve become part of our daily rhythm and part of your breakfast tables, too.

That’s why we wanted to share a little more about something important that happens behind the scenes each summer.

We’re retiring our current flock of laying hens and preparing to welcome a new team.

It’s a normal part of farm life here and rest assured, there’ll be no disruption to your egg

supply.

What Does Depopulating Mean?

Every summer, we go through a process called ‘depopulation’ which simply means our

current hens, who’ve been laying reliably for around 74 weeks, are retired.

As hens age, their laying slows and the quality of the eggs naturally changes. The whites get thinner, shells softer, and production is less consistent. For us, that means it’s time to

rehome the current flock and bring in a new group of young hens, just starting their laying journey.

It helps us keep egg quality high and supply steady - it’s all part of the cycle of life on a

working farm.

What Happens to the Hens?

We don’t believe in waste or unnecessary culling.

Our older hens are rehomed through wonderful charities the British Hen Welfare Trust

and a Wing and a Prayer, that specialise in giving ex-commercial hens a second chance at a slower, happy retirement.

They might no longer be ‘egg machines’, but they still make lovely companions and will keep laying at a gentler pace for years to come.

If you’ve ever considered rehoming a hen or two, we’d be happy to share the details of the

charities we work with! What Happens Next?

After the hens leave in early July, we’ll do a full clean and reset of the sheds, making sure

everything is spotless and ready for the new arrivals.

The new hens will arrive shortly after, and because this is a well-oiled routine, you won’t see any interruption to your usual egg deliveries. Everything is timed so the transition is smooth, seamless, and stress-free for the hens, and for you! Why It Matters to Us

It’s easy to take a box of eggs for granted. But behind each one is a whole cycle of care,

timing, animal welfare, and routine.

This annual flock change is just one of the ways we make sure that what you’re getting from Townhead Farm is the very best - fresh, consistent, and ethically produced.

Thanks as always for being part of our farm community. And if you’ve ever thought about

rehoming an ex-laying hen, let us know as we’re always happy to share more.