Why Must Hens Molt?

Raising laying hens is interesting.  I grew up with dogs (inside dogs) not with hens.  So, now I'm learning a lot.  I started getting concerned several months ago when one of our hens looked like she had the mange.  After discussing it with Grandpa, I learned that she was molting.  Now, several of our hens are molting.

Apparently, this happens each year.  They lose their feathers, grow new ones, and usually stop laying during this time.  So, the definition of molting is:  ridiculous looking birds that produce no food.

This isn't our hen but you get the idea. backyardchickens.com

When will this be over?!  We're getting about one egg every couple days.  In fact, we actually went to the store and bought some organic, free range eggs to use in baking.  bummer.

I didn't know how good I had it this summer!