Forced molting — inducing feather loss to extend a hen's laying life — has historically involved food deprivation and remains a contested welfare practice in egg production.
Forced molting has been one of the most ethically contested practices in egg production. Feed withdrawal molting — denying food entirely for up to two weeks — causes intense hunger, weight loss, immune suppression, and increased Salmonella susceptibility in hens. The practice was defended on productivity grounds while causing obvious suffering to animals with clear hunger motivations. Even with alternative molt programs using low-nutrient diets, hens experience prolonged hunger stress. Molting prolongs the productive life of hens in aging, often substandard housing, deferring the welfare improvement that would come from flock replacement with better facilities. Consumers rarely know their eggs come from hens in their second or third laying cycle following repeated forced molts. Better welfare requires both prohibiting feed withdrawal and improving baseline housing standards.