Induced moulting of laying hens is a commercial practice used to extend the productive life of flocks, with different methods carrying distinct welfare implications that vary widely between production systems.
Feed withdrawal moulting, now banned in the EU and UK, caused severe welfare harm through starvation and chronic hunger. Alternative methods, while avoiding total feed withdrawal, still involve nutritional stress and the physical process of feather loss, which can cause pain and social disruption. The moulting period involves immune suppression and increased disease vulnerability. Consumer and retailer demand for eggs from hens that have not been moulted is creating market pressure for farms to replace, rather than remould, ageing flocks.