When their egg production drops, hens are deprived of water and food for up to 14 days at a time in order to shock their bodies into a period of increased [egg] laying. This extremely cruel practice, called “forced molting,” causes birds to lose their feathers and a significant percentage of their body weight, and many birds die from hunger and dehydration. This hen was rescued from a factory farm after her body was devastated by forced molting.
