Induced moulting — forcing laying hens to shed and regrow feathers to restart egg production — is practiced in many countries to extend the productive life of commercial flocks, but raises serious welfare concerns depending on the method used.
Induced moulting using feed withdrawal causes clear, significant suffering. Hungry hens show elevated stress behaviors, increased mortality, and pronounced behavioral changes indicating their distress. The EU and UK correctly identified this as an unacceptable welfare practice and banned it. However, even alternative moulting methods are not welfare-neutral — they all impose physical stress on hens at a point when their bodies are already under considerable metabolic demand. The fundamental welfare question is whether any form of induced moulting is justified given the options of replacing flocks or accepting reduced second-cycle productivity. For consumers, understanding whether eggs come from first-cycle or multi-cycle hens is nearly impossible from labelling alone.