Document type : Press release from INRAE
Author : INRAE
Preview: Researchers from INRAE and Novogen have shown that the laying patterns of laying hens is influenced by genetic factors. For their research, which appeared on 20 May in the journal PLOS ONE, they used electronic nests to monitor the individual egg-laying rates of more than 2,000 hens, barn raised in large groups without cages, for 40 weeks. The influence of genetics on laying rates is a promising avenue of exploration in the selection laying hens suited to cage-free systems and in supporting the forthcoming cessation of cage rearing planned in western countries.