Ever wondered about the energy our hens need? Well, Virginia Tech did, and they've uncovered some cool facts that might reshape egg farming!
When corn, a major energy source for hens, became pricier in 2008-09, the quest to find alternatives began. After extensive research, the results revealed something unexpected.
It turns out; the energy in a hen’s diet doesn't directly decide how many eggs she lays. Instead, it's all about her body weight and fat reserves. If hens have enough stored energy, they’ll happily continue laying eggs.
Researchers believe that looking at a hen’s weight gives a clearer picture of her energy levels than counting the eggs or checking her feed habits.
In a new experiment, they fed 252 hens on different energy diets. While their body weight and fat varied with the energy in the diet, the egg count stayed pretty consistent.
This indicates hens might dip into their energy reserves to produce eggs. This discovery not only helps us understand hens better but also has bigger implications.
By feeding hens efficiently, we can produce eggs more cost-effectively and reduce our environmental footprint.
Source : wisconsinagconnection