Why nutrition, not genetics, drives extended lay cycles Two experts explain how feeding strategy shapes lifetime output3 August 2026 3 August 2026 4 minute read 4 minute read By: By: Melanie Epp EuropeModern laying hens are pushed further than any generation before them. His alternative is feeding to egg mass – body weight, egg weight, and production percentage combined — recalculated as often as daily rather than fixed for weeks. Van Eck's research points to three factors in extending laying cycles: the rearing phase, laying-phase diet decisions, and bird health. A higher body weight at the same age also increases egg weight, up to 110 weeks. A constant-energy diet made things worse: it cost more and produced fewer eggs, making longer cycles less profitable, not more.