Forced molting refers to the process that a large number of poultry quickly shed their feathers after completing an egg laying cycle or when they need to stop production for other reasons. Compared with natural molting, forced molting can shorten the rest period, promote poultry to start production ahead of schedule and lay eggs intensively. Moreover, forced molting can prolong the utilization period of female birds; It is beneficial to adjust the supply of breeding eggs or commercial eggs according to the change of market demand. The methods of compulsory molting are as follows:
(1) Choose healthy poultry for compulsory molting, and eliminate weak individuals.
(2) The fasting period is 1-15 days, and laying hens and ducks stop eating for 1 days; Broilers, ducks and geese stopped eating for 15 days. During the hunger strike, water was not stopped, and the light time was shortened to 8 hours.
(3) After the end of the hunger strike, feed and light should be gradually resumed. On the first day, each poultry should feed 5g, on the second day, 7g, and after the third day, feed should be restricted properly to prevent the poultry from gaining weight too quickly. The light returned to 14 hours a day.