Forced molting through feed withdrawal stresses laying hens severely; non-feed-withdrawal alternatives achieve the same production goals with far less suffering.
Feed withdrawal molting causes one of the most acute and prolonged suffering events in commercial egg production. Hens deprived of food for up to two weeks experience extreme hunger, weakened immunity, and significant loss of body condition. The practice has been shown to increase Salmonella shedding, harming both animal and human health. Alternative molting methods exist that achieve equivalent production outcomes without starvation, making feed withdrawal an unnecessary welfare harm.