hersystem.Typicallythehenswillfindthattheirfoodand
water,which have beenfreely available to themuntil this
time,aresuddenlycutoff.Forinstance,untilquiterecentlya
British Ministry of Agriculture booklet advised that the
second day of a forced molt should be as follows:
Nofood,lightorwater.Makesurethefoodtroughsarereally
empty,cleanoutanyremainingmash,collecteggs,thenturn
off the water and lights and leave the birds for 24 hours.^61
The standard practice was then that after two days water
wouldberestoredandfoodafteranotherday.Overthenext
fewweeksthelightingwouldbereturnedtonormalandthose
hens who had survived—some succumbed from the
shock—mightbeexpectedtobesufficientlyproductivetobe
worthkeepingforanothersixmonthsorso.Since1987,asa
resultofpressurefromanimalwelfaregroups,thismethodof
force-moltinghasbeenillegalinBritain,andhensmustget
food and waterevery day. In the United States itis still
entirely legal. Many poultry farmers, however, do not
considerthisprocedureworththetrouble;hensarecheap,so
theyprefertogetanewflockassoonasthepresentoneis
past its peak.
Totheveryend,eggproducersallownosentimenttoaffect
theirattitudestothebirdswhohavelaidsomanyeggsfor
them.Unlikethe murdererwhogets aspecial meal before
beinghanged,thecondemnedhensmaygetnofoodatall.
“Take feed away from spent hens” advises a headline in
PoultryTribune,andthearticlebelowtellsfarmersthatfood
giventohensinthethirtyhourspriortoslaughteriswasted,
sinceprocessorspay nomorefor foodthat remainsin the
digestive tract.^62