Creating healthier, higher-yielding eggs

Researchers at North Carolina State University have found several ways to increase egg production, ensuring a steady inventory hits the grocery supply chain. 

With more eggs coming from cage-free housing, as much as 40% in 2024, commercial egg producers have heightened interest in understanding which hens are most adaptive to this environment. 

In cage-free housing, thousands of hens can fly freely inside a poultry barn. However, timid or skittish hens can sustain injury when running into walls or workers. Researchers hope to identify genetic strains of birds that are calmer and better adapted to a cage-free environment. 

University scientists developed a study to evaluate egg production, egg quality, stress and behavior in two strains of white and brown hens. A comparison was conducted for 72 weeks evaluating the four strains that were housed in separate pens with a three-rung ladder perch, a roost and four nesting boxes. To determine bird stress, new tests were developed to measure behavioral reactivity in hens. 

Based on results, the Hy-line brown strain had higher egg production and better egg quality metrics compared to the three other strains included in the study. Overall, both strains of the white hens produced lower quality eggs than the brown strains in the cage-free environment. 

North Carolina researchers are helping producers make informed decisions by identifying hen strains that are healthier, calmer and more productive in cage-free housing systems through science-based research. 

North Carolina Agricultural Research Service | Project supported by non-profit grants and contracts; Hatch capacity funds. Photo courtesy of NC State College of Agriculture & Life Sciences.