Farmers may suffer a considerable increase in feed costs and losses in egg income because of poor feather cover in winter, mainly due to increased feed consumption at low temperatures. Compared to the fully feathered hens, naked birds can eat 40 g/bird more at 15 °C, and 30 g/bird at 18°C. Reports from Australia have revealed that the increased feed costs arising from such extra feed consumption in this ease amounts to $AUS 6.57 million annually, which forces the need for keeping hens warm in winter. However, for this strategy to be viable the heating cost should first be balanced out against the increase in feed cost, and the matter could then be brought into a final conclusion to benefit the farm economy.