In the next decade, Canada’s egg production industry is expected to shift entirely into cage-free (free run or free range) or enriched colony housing operations, much of which will allow laying hens to scamper and fly freely within large-scale barns or operations.
This is in part a response to the changing requirements of grocery and large restaurant– chains that are looking to purchase cage-free eggs, and a growing understanding of how egg producers can most effectively balance animal welfare, human health, and environmental sustainability goals.
But all this freedom-of-movement comes with new risks.
Cage-free environments lead to more animal collisions, which can result in broken bones and other damage to laying hens’ fragile skeletons. Genetic selection and management practices helped increase the number of eggs produced, but modern hens often suffer from calcium deficiencies which can result in osteoporosis and related maladies.
Put simply: Hens are conditioned to reach sexual maturity quickly, so they can begin laying lots of eggs as soon as possible. Maturity often arrives before the skeleton is fully formed, and the bulk of calcium from a hen’s diet is diverted to produce eggshells instead of strengthening their own bones.
“We have seen an increase in keel bone damage,” said Dr. Grégoy Bédécarrats, a professor in the Department of Animal Biosciences at Ontario Agricultural College at the University of Guelph, and a Food from Thought researcher who specializes in precision poultry management.
“The keel is the bone equivalent of the sternum, where the flight muscles are attached, and this bone is the last one to ossify. So, there has been a new push to try to prevent or reduce the occurrence of these injuries.”
Bédécarrats and his research collaborators are working on a solution. They believe that by fine-tuning poultry management practices, they can ensure laying hens achieve sexual maturity only after their skeletons are well-developed.
This would prevent osteoporosis and reduce bone-breaks in cage-free environments, because at this stage, poultry skeletons are strong enough to withstand the pressures of a laying cycle.
“Our goal is to prevent early puberty to make sure the hen has a chance to develop,” said Dr. Bédécarrats.
“If that skeleton was not fully finished at the time the [laying] signal comes, it’s going to be weak for the rest of the production cycle.”
A typical hen lays more than 300 eggs a year, and each egg requires approximately three grams of calcium. With funding from Food from Thought and the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, Dr. Bédécarrats and his team are working to balance dozens of factors, including light exposure, to optimize growth trajectory while maintaining the industry’s egg volume requirements.
This research supports tens of millions of dollars in sales each year to corporate buyers in the grocery and fast-food industries who already require cage-free eggs.
“Our research is focused on ensuring any gain or increase in productivity doesn’t come at the expense of the wellbeing of the animal,” said Dr. Bédécarrats, noting this has benefits throughout the food chain, from producers down to everyday consumers.
Dr. Bédécarrats and his team have demonstrated that both metabolic status and light stimulation are key. One of their key tools is the Agrilux LED spectrum system, a commercial product developed from research by Dr. Bédécarrats and other collaborators at U of G.
The Agrilux system uses red LED light to stimulate deep brain photoreceptors and initiate puberty in laying hens, while green light targets growth in juvenile animals. The red spectrum is ideal for replacing incandescent bulbs, which have been phased out of the egg production industry.
Spectrum LEDs increase animal productivity, provide significant energy savings, and are designed to be durable in a barn environment, lasting up to five years.
About 50 poultry farms in Canada already use the Agrilux system, but there is massive potential for expanding the market. With nearly 190,000 poultry operations in Canada alone, and a typical barn requiring 200 LED bulbs valued at around $65 apiece, total Canadian sales in any given year could reach $2.47 billion.
“Potentially moving to outside Canada would really open the door for much larger volume,” said Dr. Bédécarrats. He serves as technology advisor for Agrilux, and noted the company is looking to expand with a new LED bulb that uses green light to stimulate growth in turkey operations.
“What we’re trying to achieve is, through sustainability, making sure that farmers can still farm, that prices can remain competitive,” he said. “But at the same time ensuring that doesn’t come at the expense of the wellbeing of the animal.”
“Food from Thought, is a really great initiative … that allows us to put up some bigger teams that have a more holistic and general approach to problems,” he added. “I think this is critical. Rather than working in silos, this really helps bringing people together to advance knowledge and get closer to solutions.”
Bédécarrats’ research uses the Ontario Poultry Research Centre, which is owned by Agricultural Research and Innovation Ontario and managed by U of G through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance.
