The Realities of Hen Hell

Many people are now aware of the deplorable conditions in which livestock are forced to live and die in our nation's factory farms. For example, chickens are forced to live in such crowded conditions that they must be de-beaked to prevent them from pecking each other to death. Now, another torture inflicted on farm animals is undergoing scrutiny. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), at any given time more than 6 million hens in the U.S. are being systematically starved in their cages. The motive, of course, is money.

Farmers starve hens in a practice called forced molting in order to increase egg production and raise profits. A 1997 survey of 15 major egg farms revealed that all routinely withheld or reduced their hens' feed from an average of seven to ten days. During the process the starving hens are so desperate for nutrition that they pluck and eat each other's feathers in a desperate attempt to quell their gnawing hunger. Up to 10% of birds die during forced molting.

Forced molting may have human health consequences. Prolonged food deprivation weakens the hens' immune systems, increasing the likelihood of salmonella infection. The pathogens may then be passed to humans eating contaminated eggs or meat.

England banned forced molting in 1987, but the practice continues in the U.S., supported by the American Veterinary Medical Association.  Based on information in: The Animals' Agenda, Jul-Aug 1998