Perhaps not everyone knows that laying hens store calcium and phosphorous in their bones during the day to produce egg shells at night.
The calcium and phosphorous needed for this process come from the feed ration that is provided daily in every professional farm.
However, as the laying hen becomes older, she becomes less and less efficient and her body finds it increasingly difficult to restore optimal mineral levels in the bones.
Historically, at around 65-70 weeks, after producing about 300 eggs, the mineral content of a laying hen’s bones became critical, causing bone weakness, declining animal welfare, reduced laying and therefore old hens had to be replaced.
Over the last 30 years, the professional poultry industry has focused on improving the living conditions of laying hens.
Thanks to advances in genetics, nutrition, biosecurity and farming techniques, the welfare of laying hens has improved to the point that they can now produce – if healthy – for up to 100 weeks.
This benefits both the laying hens and the planet because longer-lived, healthier animals produce more eggs and need to be replaced less often.
The editorial staff of M.A.C.
