NCSU: Environment, genetics affect egg production in a cage-free system
Consumers, retail customers and even legislators in some states are embracing cage-free egg production, necessitating a shift in the laying-hen industry.
Consumers, retail customers and even legislators in some states are embracing cage-free egg production, necessitating a shift in the laying-hen industry.
Turkeys are seasonal breeders, meaning exposure to a long-day photoperiod triggers the reproductive response. The challenge is that the photoreceptors are deep within the brain. The light must therefore penetrate the skull and brain tissue to elicit a response.
Formaldehyde fumigation is a conventional method used to control total environmental microbial counts in the hatchery. However, according to Christine N. Vuong, PhD, University of Arkansas, this method does not differentiate between beneficial or pathogenic microbes.
Bird welfare is improved in cage-free layer systems compared to cage systems, but indoor air quality suffers in a cage-free environment due to higher bird activity.
Continuous lighting is commonplace in commercial broiler houses, but is that what’s best for the birds?
By Alexander W. Strauch, DVM
Four Star Veterinary Service, LLC
Minton Veterinary Service Office
Chickasaw, Ohio
Currently, 34% of laying hens used for commercial egg production in the United States are housed in cage-free environments. This number will nearly double to 66% by 2026 by to meet retailer demands and state legislation requirements. How do we prepare for this increase?
On-farm hatching of broilers may be a viable option to increase efficiency by increasing hatchability and reducing total mortality during rearing, according to scientists in Denmark.
By Michael Czarick
Extension Specialist – Engineering
University of Georgia
Department of Poultry Science
Transporting poultry from grow farms to processing plants can be stressful for birds, even more so in humid weather or during a brisk cold snap when stress levels can increase enough to contribute to weight loss and reduced meat quality.
Newer systems for laying hens provide more space for them to express natural behaviors such as scratching, pecking and dustbathing, which could have some biological benefits.
There’s a new egg on the block in the US — the carbon-neutral egg from Kipster Farm. It’s the result of a different approach to egg farming that started in 2017, when Kipster, a Dutch egg producer, introduced the world’s first carbon-neutral egg to the Netherlands.
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