A layer that drops feathers and stops laying is usually going through a normal moult, and the job is to feed her through it, not to panic or starve her.
Halaal Farms Ghana team29 April 2026 · 11 min read
The first time a keeper sees a hen standing bare-backed, with feathers in the litter and the egg count falling across the house, the first thought is usually that something has gone wrong. Sometimes it has. Often it is a moult, and a normal one. The hen is replacing her feathers and resting her laying system. She is doing the work of a bird that has been producing eggs for a long time, and she needs feed, water and quiet to do it.
This guide covers natural moult, how to tell it from sickness, how to feed through it and what the phrase giving layers a rest means in practice. It also covers the harder subject of forced moulting, which some commercial producers use and which many keepers find difficult to accept. We are a hatchery and importer, not a vet. For any bird that does not fit the pattern described here, call us on 024 915 1503 for advice, or have a vet look at her.
Feathers wear out and are replaced. In a moult, the hen sheds old feathers in a fairly orderly pattern and grows new ones. While she does, the egg-making system slows or stops, because feather growth and egg production both draw on the same protein and energy. A hen cannot do both at full speed, and the body chooses the feathers.
A first-year pullet is unlikely to moult in her first laying season, though it can happen. More often a hen that has laid well for some months starts a moult when her laying drops. The timing varies from bird to bird and from flock to flock. A house where birds were stressed by heat, a feed change or disease may moult more unevenly than one that stayed calm. Keep a record of when the moult starts and how far it has got, so you learn what your own birds do.
In a moult the feathers usually come out in a sequence. The neck, back and tail often go first, and the bird looks scruffy and bare over several weeks. A hen that is moulting but otherwise well keeps her weight, eats and drinks normally, and keeps her comb bright.
A moult is not an illness, but it can hide one. A hen with mites or a respiratory problem can look like a moulter at a glance. Look at the whole bird, not only the feathers. The table sets out what to check.
| What you see | Usually a normal moult | Check it sooner |
|---|---|---|
| Feathers coming out evenly on the neck, back and tail | Yes, in a sequence | Only if the bare patches are raw or bleeding |
| Hen bright, eating and drinking, comb red | Yes | Not usually a concern on its own |
| Eggs stop, but the hen looks well | Yes, the moult is the likely cause | Check her weight and comb each week |
| Bare skin with scabs, or feathers broken short | Not a moult; pecking or mites are more likely | Separate the pecking bird and check for mites |
| Weight falling, comb pale, hen quiet and not eating | Not a moult alone | Separate her and get advice the same day |
| Swelling, straining or a hen standing hunched | Not a moult | Get a vet, or read our guide to spotting internal laying and prolapse |
Check weight by feel. A moulting hen should not be losing body condition steadily. If the breastbone gets sharper week on week, something is wrong beyond the moult. Check the droppings as well. A healthy hen's droppings stay steady through a moult, and a change in colour or consistency is a reason to look more closely. Our guide to reading droppings sets out what the changes can mean.
The worst thing you can do is starve a hen to speed things up. Feather is made mostly of protein. A hen that moults on a thin ration grows poor, slow feathers and takes longer to come back into lay. Keep her on a balanced layer ration with good protein and the right minerals. Do not cut her feed to hurry the moult along.
Calcium still matters. Hens that have stopped laying are not using calcium for shells at the same rate, but the bones and the body still need it, and a well-supplied hen restarts laying sooner. Our guide to calcium, grit and strong eggshells sets out how to keep the mineral side right.
Water matters as much as feed. A moulting hen drinks steadily and needs clean water within easy reach. Check the drinkers every day and keep them clean. A hen that is not drinking will eat less, and her new feathers will come in slowly.
If you mix your own ration, the same principles apply. Our guides to mixing a simple layer ration and budgeting feed for a laying flock show how to keep the protein steady without overspending.
Try not to change anything else in the same weeks. A moult already asks a lot of the hens. A new feed brand, a new batch of birds, a move to another house or a new lighting pattern all add stress on top of it, and then it becomes hard to tell what caused a dip in the eggs. Change one thing at a time, and write it down when you do.
Bringing in new birds during a moult is the worst timing. New birds can carry disease, and a moulting flock has less resistance to spare. If you must add birds, keep them apart until they are checked, as our guide to quarantine and bringing new birds in safely explains.
Keep the same people doing the same jobs as well. A flock handled roughly during a moult picks up more feather damage from crowding and pecking. Calm, regular handling and a steady routine count for a lot in the weeks when the birds are most exposed.
Some producers use a forced moult. They cut feed or water, or both, for a period to stop laying and bring the flock back into lay together. In the commercial world this is a management tool, and it is controversial. It causes real stress and weight loss, and it can be hard on birds already in poor health. We do not recommend it for a small flock kept as a family business, and we would not supply birds to a plan that starved them.
The gentler idea of giving layers a rest is usually about the lighting and the house, not about starving the bird. Some keepers reduce the light for a short period to slow the laying system. Others keep the flock calm, dry and cool during a moult and let it run its course. If you want to try any change to light, talk it through with us or a vet first, and change it slowly. Our guide to a simple lighting programme for layers in Ghana covers the basics.
If you are tempted to withhold feed to force a moult, stop and ask why. The honest answer is usually that the flock is not earning its keep, and the better answer is to look at the flock's age and the feed budget, then decide whether to keep or replace.
This is the economic question behind every moult. A hen that has moulted once and laid for a season may still have a good laying life ahead, or she may be finishing. Keeping her through a moult costs feed while she does not lay. Replacing her with a young bird costs money up front and a few months of waiting before the new birds lay.
Point-of-lay pullets are sold in the range of GH₵1,000 to GH₵1,150, and that is the figure to plan around when you compare. Confirm today's price with us, because it moves. Buying in a new flock is a bigger, clearer decision than trying to keep an old one going. Our guide on buying point-of-lay pullets or rearing your own sets out how to weigh the two.
Do the sum on paper before you decide. Count the feed the hen eats while she is not laying, the eggs she is not giving you and what a replacement costs. Then compare that with what she is likely to give over the coming months. A hen that is finishing is not worth a long, expensive moult. A healthy hen in her prime may well be.
If you replace in stages rather than all at once, the flock keeps laying through the change. Our guide to staggering layers for year-round eggs shows how to space the batches so one moult does not stop the whole house.
A moulting hen is more sensitive to heat and cold. Her feathers are thin and her body is working hard to regrow them. In the hot season, keep the house shaded and airy and make sure the water stays cool. In the harmattan, dry dust can settle on bare skin and irritate it, so keep the house clean and the litter dry.
Our guide to keeping layers laying through the heat goes into the detail on shade and ventilation. The same steps help a moulting flock. Do not let a heat spell hit a moulting flock unprepared.
Keep a note for each flock: the date the moult starts, the date egg numbers fall, the date you change feed, and the date the first eggs come back. Over a year these notes tell you more than any general advice can. Our guide to recording egg production daily shows a simple way to keep these numbers.
Note the age of the flock too. Older hens moult and recover more slowly, and a flock moulting when it is already old takes longer to pay back its feed. That is the information you need when you decide what to do next year.
It varies from bird to bird and from flock to flock. Rather than trusting a general number, record the start and the first eggs back on your own flock. Then you have a figure you can rely on.
Usually yes, once the moult is over and she is fed well. If she does not restart, look at her health, weight and age before you decide anything else.
Not because she is moulting alone. Cull her only if she is ill, injured beyond repair or clearly past useful laying and not worth her feed. The sum on paper settles it.
Be careful. Keep the balanced ration you already use and check any change with your feed mill. Supplements added on guesswork can upset the ration and do nothing for the moult.
When an old flock is finishing, plan the replacement early. Hy-Line Brown layer chicks are imported and available from GH₵23 each or GH₵1,150 for a box of 50. Hy-Line White and Bovans Brown are from GH₵25.50 each or GH₵1,275 a box. Lohmann Brown is priced on request. Before you pay, we confirm the price, the hatch date and the delivery cost, and an order starts with a message, not with money.
Send the order form on our site, or call 024 915 1503 to talk through the timing. If you are comparing breeds, read Lohmann or Bovans, choosing a brown layer, and feeding layers from chick to first egg will help you plan the feed for the new birds from day one.
Written by the Halaal Farms Ghana team. We hatch and import day-old chicks at Opeikuma, Kasoa, and deliver to all 16 regions. This article is general guidance for farmers. For diagnosis and treatment of sick birds, speak to a vet or your district veterinary office.
A weekly weighing routine for broiler farmers: how to pick an honest sample, the weights to compare against from day 7 to day 42, the average and uniformity sums, and what to do when the flock is behind.
Feed cost per kilo of broiler depends on how much feed each kilo takes and what you pay for it. These ten habits lower both without starving the birds or buying additives.
Heat kills the heaviest broilers in the last days before sale. This guide explains why, shows the signs in order, and sets out the house, stocking, water and feeding changes that prevent it, plus an afternoon emergency plan.
