Why laying stops and feathers come first
The moult is a full-body renovation: over several weeks a hen sheds her worn feathers and grows a complete new set, and feathers are made almost entirely of protein. Her body rations that protein strictly, and egg production is the first budget cut — a hen deep in moult who stopped laying is not ill or finished, she is spending her protein where it matters most. Trying to force laying through the moult with rich laying rations works against the renovation and leaves her starting winter in threadbare feathers.
Raising the protein without upsetting the gut
The practical move is to shift the flock onto a higher-protein feed for the moult — a grower or a game-bird style ration suits — or to top up the usual feed with protein-rich extras: cooked egg, a little tinned fish, mealworms, or sunflower seeds in their shells. Make the change gradually over several days, mixing increasing amounts of the new feed into the old, because a sudden swap upsets digestion in a bird whose system is already working hard. Scatter extras rather than bowl-feeding them, so the bottom-of-the-order hens get their share of the good stuff instead of watching the bold birds take it.
Calcium, grit and the in-between ration
With no shells being made, a moulting hen needs far less calcium than a layer, and heavy calcium in the ration is work her kidneys do not need right now — another reason the layer feed steps back during the moult. Keep oyster shell available in its own dish anyway: a hen still laying the odd egg can help herself, and the flock's needs vary bird by bird. Grit stays out as usual for birds eating whole seeds and grains. Fresh water matters more than it looks — new feathers are grown by a bird who is eating and drinking properly, and a hen who goes off her water will stall mid-moult in a half-finished coat.
Supporting the bird while she looks her worst
A moulting hen is tender-skinned and often bad-tempered about it: pin feathers coming through are sensitive, and picking her up can genuinely hurt, so keep handling to health checks only. Watch for flockmates pecking at bloody pin feathers — a bird being picked on may need a few days in a quiet pen within sight of the flock, fed the same moult ration, until her feathers harden off. If a hen loses weight sharply, goes hunched and silent, or a moult drags on far beyond her flockmates', that has left normal moult territory and a vet should look at her. Back on KinsLe, marking the moult start on the flock's profile and setting the Care Teams feed duty to the higher-protein ration means everyone feeds the renovation diet until the new feathers are through — not the layer routine out of habit.