Research finds no quality differences in eggs from aviaries, enriched or conventional cages

In this research, the cage-free aviary housing had consistently higher dust levels than the enriched and conventional cage housing in the spring, summer and winter.

Preliminary analysis of the Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply first flock research results were presented recently at the group’s annual meeting in Minneapolis. The quality of the eggs was assessed shortly after they were laid using multiple parameters, which were found not to be impacted by hen housing system.
Eggs from the three systems were further assessed at four, six and 12 weeks of cold storage to determine if the housing system impacted the rate of egg quality decline. Findings showed that hen housing system did not impact the rate of egg quality decline.
Immune function
Researchers also looked at the effect of housing type on the hens’ immune systems and vaccination effectiveness. An effective immune response can result in a better resistance to invasion and colonization of Salmonella into tissues including ovary and eggs. Two methods were used to measure antibody levels of each flock and analyzed to determine immune status. Antibody response in hens did not differ between housing systems; however, significant seasonal differences were noted.
Worker safety and health
Among the three types of housing studied, the cage-free aviary system had consistently higher inhalable particle and inhalable endotoxins concentrations in the spring, summer and winter. Workers who had been in the aviary system had fewer changes in lung function between the beginning and end of work shifts than those in other systems, though not significantly so.
Many of these issues can be managed by workers wearing an approved respiratory mask (masks were available to all workers during the study). Less frequent mask use is significantly associated with lower lung function. Average mask use was higher for workers in aviary housing, which may have protected them from greater respiratory consequences than had they not worn them.
Understanding that specific job tasks can have an impact on worker health and safety, ergonomics were also evaluated, assessing the movements necessary to perform job functions in each of the barns and identifying possible risks. In the conventional and enriched colony systems, the loading and unloading of cages during population and depopulation requires extreme body positions, including squatting for an extended time. In the aviary system, gathering eggs that had been laid on the floor also requires extreme body positions, while crawling and lying on the floor exposes the worker to potential respiratory hazards and infection hazards to the hands and the knees.
Other measurements
The Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply is a group of egg suppliers, food manufacturers, research institutions, non-governmental organizations, restaurant, foodservice and retail food companies who are collaborating on a commercial-scale study of housing alternatives for U.S. egg-laying hens. This research project is studying five aspects of sustainable egg production in conventional, enriched colony and cage-free aviary housing systems.Preliminary research results for the Animal Health and Well-Being, Food Affordability and Environment aspects of the research were released in 2012.
Researchers will finalize analysis of the research data on behalf of the Coalition in 2014, with a final report available in 2015.

Could eggs solve dietary vitamin D insufficiency?

A single egg from a laying hen given vitamin D supplemented feed could contribute significantly to the recommended daily intake of vitamin D for both adults and children.
PhD student Linda Browning, supported by the Poultry CRC at the University of Sydney in Australia, has been investigating the efficiency of deposition of vitamin D into egg yolks following supplementation in the feed of laying hens.
Additionally, she has measured the change in vitamin D deposition into egg yolks over time, and the effect that supplementation may have on the overall performance of the hens.
Eggs are one of the few natural food sources rich in vitamin D, and they contain both vitamin D₃ and 25-hydroxy D₃ (25(OH)D₃) metabolites of vitamin D. The latter is especially useful as it provides five times the relative biological activity of vitamin D in the human diet. The research investigated the in-egg vitamin D concentrations resulting from supplementation. The results of the work look promising.
Browning comments: "Overall, D₃ content per kilogram of egg yolk increased as the addition of D₃ increased. And the higher dietary levels of D₃ also significantly increased the 25(OH)D₃ content of egg yolk, but not the D₃ content of egg yolk."
Additionally, the hens showed a rapid response to vitamin D supplementation in the feed, with a plateauing of total deposition as early as the third week of the trial.
A single egg from a laying hen, supplemented with increased level of D₃ and 25(OH)D₃, had the potential to contribute significantly to the recommended daily intake of vitamin D for both adults and children without detrimental effect on hen production parameters.
Browning added: "I think it is a most worthwhile story for both egg producers and egg consumers alike. The cost [of] a full dose of vitamin D (10,000 iu + 69 micrograms 25-hydroxy D₃) is only about 1 cent per dozen eggs."
The research also demonstrated a wide variation in the inherent vitamin D concentration of egg yolk at day one of the trial, which could not be explained by the diet alone because all birds had consumed the same level of dietary vitamin D prior to commencement of the trial. The most likely cause is the inherent genetic difference between birds in their ability to transfer vitamin D metabolites across their intestinal wall into the yolk. 

UK scientists study ways to turn egg shells into plastics

Scientists at the University of Leicester are looking at ways to use egg shells as fillers to bulk up different grades of plastic, something which could have practical applications in everything from food packaging to construction materials, according to the research. Overall, the project aims to find useful ways of recycling egg shells which are currently regarded as waste by food producers and which they have to pay to dispose of in landfills.
“Egg shell is classified as a waste material by the food industry but is in fact a highly sophisticated composite,” said Richard Worrall, director of Food and Drink iNet, which is funding the project. “The scientists at the University of Leicester have identified a number of uses for egg shell waste...This could have potential benefit on many levels, both for food manufacturers and a much wider industry.” The researchers are also looking at the possibility of extracting materials from the egg shells that could have uses in the pharmaceutical industry. 

Research challenges existing data on egg consumption

Dr. Mitch Kanter

Eggs are experiencing a “rebirth” among many health and nutrition experts due to recent research challenging existing dogmas about nutrition and health, stated Dr. Mitch Kanter, executive director of the Egg Nutrition Center, in a presentation during the Simmering Issues Workshop at the 2012 Midwest Poultry Federation Convention in St. Paul, Minn. Previously considered unhealthy, eggs are now being extolled for their nutrient density, high-quality protein, and relatively low cost in comparison to other protein sources.
Much of this rebirth is being driven by data indicating that egg intake does not promote cardiovascular disease in the majority of the population, according to Kanter. Recent studies are indicating the positive impact of a higher protein diet for modulating serum glucose and insulin levels, both of which can ultimately impact obesity rates and cardiovascular disease risk.
Further driving this resurgence are studies suggesting that breakfast might be the most important meal of the day for consuming protein.  Coupled with data demonstrating that higher protein intakes can increase satiety, enhance muscle tissue growth and re-synthesis, and minimize muscle loss in the elderly, the future for egg consumption in the U.S appears bright.

US egg coalition awards $6 million for hen house sustainability research

$6 million has been awarded to a three-year project focusing on comparing conventional cage housing, enriched cage housing and a cage-free aviary system for laying hens.

The Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply has awarded $6 million to support research on the sustainability of laying hen housing in the U.S.
Michigan State University and the University of California, Davis, will participate in the three-year “CSES Laying Hen Housing Research Project,” which will explore the interactions and tradeoffs among food safety, worker safety, environmental impact, hen health and welfare and food affordability aspects of three different housing systems. Information generated by the research, which will focus on conventional cage housing, enriched cage housing and a cage-free aviary system, is expected to help egg purchasers and producers make objective, science-based decisions as the egg industry evolves in response to consumer needs and desires.
“Our goal is to thoroughly understand the full range of sustainability factors," said Dr. Janice Swanson, director of animal welfare and professor of animal science at Michigan State University. "This multi-year study will examine seasonal shifts, bird lifecycles, bird health and behavior, environmental impacts, human health and other factors affecting the sustainability of the egg production system.” Additional cooperating research institutions include Iowa State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service.  

USPOULTRY donates $25,000 to egg, hen research facility

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association is donating $25,000 to the Michigan State University’s new egg-laying hen research facility.
The new MSU facility will provide housing and rooms to conduct research on hens in conventional cages, cage-free aviary and enriched colony stages. The facility will allow researchers to measure performances and behavioral traits of hens using nests and perches at a variety of floor spacings per hen.
In addition to this donation, USPOULTRY’s research program has funded a $72,600 project, entitled, “Enriched Colony Cages: Stocking Density on Laying Hen Well-Being,” that will be conducted at MSU in the new facilities.

American Egg Board funded $2 million in nutrition research in 2010

During 2010, the American Egg Board's Egg Nutrition Center funded a record $2 million for nutrition research and awarded grants to faculty at several universities, according to the board's annual report.
Roughly 13% of the AEB's expenditures came from nutrition campaigns, while 12% went to agriculture education and 12% went to state support and industry programs (6% each). Recipients of the grants included the University of Connecticut, the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, San Diego State University, Austin University School of Medicine and the Baylor College of Medicine. Advertising took up the largest percentage of expenditures (38%), market communications claimed 7% and food service and egg product marketing each accounted for 4% of expenditures.
The board also focused on egg safety, working with the United Egg Producers to develop an Egg Safety Crisis Plan. The AEB reallocated $1 million from existing programs for a campaign to regain consumer confidence following the egg recall in August 2010. The AEB then created the Social Media Crisis Response Plan, and it was also intended to establish a parallel Crisis Protection Plan. Efforts included advertisements in USA Today, Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, as well as statements on egg safety through various media outlets. The AEB said that these efforts “played a key role in minimizing erosion of consumer demand.”
Total revenue for the AEB amounted to $21.23 million, while total expenditures reached $24.65 million — representing a deficit of $3.4 million for the year. As of the end of 2010, the AEB had total assets of $12.47 million with an accumulated excess of revenue over operating expenses of $10.3 million. The deficit between revenue and expenditure was funded from accumulated funds.

Egg Industry Center reports on molting

The EIC evaluated records from 12 producer companies using an 80-week, single-cycle program and a 110-week two-cycle program with molting at 70 weeks.

Part five of the Egg Industry Center review of egg production reported on the financial impact of molting. The report (EEU328) dated December 29, 2010 is accessable through the EIC and maro@iastate.edu.
Guided by Don Bell, software was developed, permitting input of production data and price information. The EIC evaluated records from 12 producer companies using an 80-week, single-cycle program and a 110-week two-cycle program with molting at 70 weeks. Eight of the 12 companies demonstrated higher returns with the 80-week program. The 52-week average profit from the 80-week program followed by 12 companies was $4.01 compared to $4.10 for the two-cycle 110-week program.
Further details relating to hen-housed egg production, weekly mortality, case weight and daily feed intake can be reviewed in the report. The averages are indicated in the table below:

Parameter	80 week	70 + 40 weeks
52-week profit	$4.01	$4.10
Hen-housed eggs	340	457
Av.weekly mortality	0.16%	0.19%
Case weight	47.5 lb	48.1 lb
Feed intake per hen	0.220 lb	0.280 lb
Feed conversion	3.24	3.43

UV light to treat contaminated egg shells

USDA-ARS scientists have recently published on the application of ultra violet light to inactivate Salmonella enteritidis (SE) on egg shells. Studies* were conducted involving the inoculation of egg shells with SE and subjecting the shell surfaces to UV irradiation over periods of 1 to 30 seconds.
Significant reduction of SE was obtained after 20 seconds of treatment with a lamp generating a dose of 23.6 J/cm2 and the radiation of the shell surface had no effect on internal quality perimeters.
However, in the event of surface contamination from fecal contact during passage of the egg through the cloaca, existing washing installations operated at recommended temperatures (115-125F) using a chlorine sanitizer at a concentration ranging from 100 to 150 ppm at a pH of 10 to 12 will effectively decontaminate shells at processing rates of up to 500 cph.

Integrated pest management for effective fly control

With the development of resistance to many forms of control, alternate methods must be developed. Read the full article.

Overview of 2009 US egg statistics

University of California Poultry Memo, Number 82, covering 2009 through August, has been circulated by Don Bell, poultry specialist emeritus, University of California-Riverside.
The following key values were presented:
*155 million pullet chicks have been hatched to date representing a 2.6% decline over the corresponding period in 2008.
*The 24-month previous hatch through August 2009 amounted to 459 million pullets, representing an increase of 8.3 million pullets over the 24-month cumulative hatch through August 2008. It is noted that this parameter is correlated strongly to the Urner-Barry (U-B) Midwest egg price.
*The average monthly transfer of pullets to layer houses is projected to attain 16.4 million for 2009 representing a 1.7% increase over the corresponding value for 2008.
*As of August 2009 the producing flock comprised 276.6 million hens. The average flock size to date is 280.3 million hens, relatively unchanged compared to the first eight months of 2008.
*Total egg production through the first eight months of 2009 amounted to 51.343 billion eggs a 0.9% increase over the first eight months of 2008. Pullet transfers, hen numbers and egg production data suggest restraint in expansion consistent with U-B egg prices prevailing in 2009.
*An average of 24.4% of the national flock has been molted, relatively unchanged from 2008 but an approximately 12% reduction from 2007. This has resulted in a decrease in weighted average flock age.
*44 million hens were depleted through August 2008, representing a 9% decrease over 2008 but a 13% reduction from the corresponding eight month period in 2007.
*44.4 million cases were consigned to breakers or processed in in-line units during the first eight months of 2009, a 2.2% reduction over January–August 2008. Approximately 31% of total U.S. domestic consumption is now further-processed.
*The nine-month average U-B Midwest, Large price is 101 cents/dozen. This is a 32% decrease over the nine-month average of 2008. The months of May–September were below 100 cents per dozen offsetting the higher revenues through the first 4 months of this year.
*Average U-B Midwest breaker egg price for the first 9-months of 2009 was 42.6 cents/dozen, a 45% decrease from the 87.8 cents/dozen in 2008. Unit revenue for breaking eggs has declined as a proportion of production cost and is now close to 64% of calculated nest-run production cost. It is noted that breaker egg prices peaked at 114 cents/dozen in March 2008 with a prevailing U-B price of 165.6 cents per dozen.
*Nine-month average production cost in 2009 is 59 cents/dozen, ranging from a high of 63.7 cents/dozen in June to a low of 57 cents/dozen in September. The approximately 9% reduction in production cost over the 68 cents/dozen recorded in 2008 is attributed to lower ingredient costs. Production costs peaked in June and July of 2008 at 73 cents/dozen.

Flock study results released

Don Bell of the University of California, Riverside, has circulated Part 13 B of the National Flock Performance Study.
This report considered income over feed costs and pullet depreciation for flocks with a first-cycle length ranging from 47 to 91 weeks as the extremes.
Data was collected from 11 companies participating in the National Flock Performance Study. Seven of the 11 companies applied either non-molt or single-molt programs. The contribution margin was calculated from the difference between revenue, using standardized prices for grades, minus feed cost and pullet depreciation. This value was multiplied by 52 weeks.
The contribution margin ranged from $3.93 per hen housed to $5.37 per hen housed. The differences among respondents reflected length of the laying cycle, strain selected and management. Lower returns were associated with shorter flock aged at either depletion or onset of molt, and the higher contribution margins were associated with an extended first cycle, usually with flock depletion at approximately 80 weeks of age. The correlation factor between contribution margin and age was 0.43.
Each week of extending the first cycle from 50-90 weeks of age added 5.6 cents to the 52-week contribution margin.

First quarter U.S. chick placements down 6%

Cumulative broiler chick placements in the U.S. from December 28, 2008 through March 28, 2009 were 2.18 billion, down 6% from the same period a year earlier, according to the USDA Broiler Hatchery report.
The decline in weekly chick placements has varied somewhat from week to week, but the number of chicks placed has always been lower than last year.
Week ending March 28, 2009 chick placements were down 8% from the same week in 2008. The number of boiler eggs set in incubators last week was down 7% from the same period in 2008.

Egg proteins may help lower blood pressure, say scientists

Eggs may be beneficial in lowering blood pressure, according to research by Kaustav Majumder and Jianping Wu at the University of Alberta in Canada.
In a recent issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the researchers describe the identification of egg proteins that might have effects similar to ACE inhibitors, prescription drugs used to treat high blood pressure. Majumder and Wu identified several different peptides in boiled and fried eggs that act as potent ACE inhibitors. Their research showed that enzymes in the stomach and small intestine produce these peptides from eggs. Fried eggs had the highest ACE inhibitory activity.The scientists say, however, that it will take studies in humans to determine if the egg proteins do lower blood pressure in people.