The move to cage-free egg production in the US and Europe created a seismic change in hen breeding programs.
Besides traditional performance factors such as feed-conversion ratios, breeders now must consider traits that help hens withstand the rigors of living in large, complex aviary systems with thousands of other birds.
“To be successful in cage-free housing systems, hens must know how to get along with their fellow flock members…and take better care of themselves compared to hens in conventional cage systems,” reported Teun van de Braak, global technical service manager, Hendrix Genetics, The Netherlands.
“This requires a hen that is robust,” he continued. “Hens that can thrive in cage-free housing are considered top athletes, as the egg industry still expects them to produce an egg a day.”
Van de Braak discussed breeding-program changes for cage-free production in a presentation at the 2023 Poultry Science Association conference. Read more