Located outside Des Moines, Iowa, Hy-Line International opened the Henry Wallace Research Farm in June 2019.
"This third research farm (all located in Iowa) allows us to keep birds past 100 weeks of age. This is ideal for selection for the persistence of lay and late shell quality, as commercial egg producers look to keep their flocks longer," said Danny Lubritz, director of research and development at Hy-Line International. More egg producers are opting to keep flocks in production longer and not molt flocks.
The new farm practices high-level biosecurity to prevent disease introduction and to protect food safety. It is a gated farm, with shower-in, shower-out entrances for employees. There is also a truck wash at the entrance.
The newest research farm was built with cool cells and tunnel ventilation to provide a better environment for the birds to reach their highest genetic potential. One of the older farms was converted to tunnel ventilation with cool cells, and temperatures are being monitored at the third farm to determine if cool cells are warranted.
The three-farm system allows the company to place more influential pedigree birds, increasing selection intensity and adding and extending its single cycle lay evaluation past 100 weeks on all farms.
White and brown strains are housed at each of the three farms.
The company runs an in-house molecular lab. This lab and the company's pedigree DNA analysis started approximately 20 years ago. Now, the DNA analysis is fully incorporated in all its lines, male and female, to move quickly and drive genetic progress.
Genomics allows the company to select males at a much younger age, reducing the generation interval.
International growth in cage-free
It is no secret that the egg industry has been waiting to see if cage-free demands will justify a full transition from conventional housing by 2025 in the U.S. – and even earlier in certain circumstances. While some operations around the world have already made the switch, others are still in the process.
"All indications point to continued growth around the world in cage-free production systems," said Tom Dixon, director of sales for the Americas and product management with Hy-Line International.
Most of western Europe's production is in alternative systems already. Cage-free production in the U.S. is at 20% and growing, he said.
"The (western part of the world) has a heavy influence on trends and will continue to influence other parts of the world regarding this trend," he said. "This occurs with both producers and consumers. Also, large multinational food companies and egg purchases will continue to demand cage-free eggs in their worldwide locations to be consistent with their company core values. So even if local consumers are indifferent to alternative production methods, egg producers may be required to produce cage-free eggs for these companies."
Breeding for cage-free production
Laying hens in cage-free systems are selected for certain traits that will maximize their efficiency in production. (Courtesy Hy-Line International)
As the demand for cage-free layers continues to increase around the world, birds will need to be properly bred and trained. Communicating with producers internationally about their needs and genetic selection will be critical in creating genetic profiles that suit the birds' living situation.
Important cage-free traits have a genetic component for feather coverage, nesting behavior, no piling or crowding throughout the system, no aggression or pecking, and livability.
Also, key to improving livability are selections for heat resistance, bacterial resistance and viral resistance.
Hy-Line has been selecting for livability, feather coverage and temperament for more than two decades, and for nesting behavior and against floor eggs for a decade.
"This is trickier because there are so many housing systems to consider: free-range, slat floor houses, various aviary designs," Lubritz said.
Selecting to ensure animal welfare is clearly of importance, especially as cage-free demand increases. Feather coverage is an important welfare trait. "Birds with good feather coverage and livability mean the variety is less aggressive," Lubritz said.
Therefore, the housing system chosen for and management of the pullets becomes very important. Birds may be well bred, but with all the variation in aviary designs, it would be hard to breed for individual systems that are company specific.
The company has a white and brown layer that has been bred to perform well in a cage-free setting due to docility, feather coverage and other traits. The brown layers offer traits that are especially helpful in cage-free settings in areas where beak trimming is not allowed.
"This bird has been tested for generations without any beak treatment, so we know she does not require it to be successful in cage-free systems," said Dixon. This is especially valuable in Europe where beak treatment is coming to an end.
In addition to individual-bird cages, Hy-Line uses floor pens and cage-free systems in field tests to gain the research data it needs to understand bird behaviors in these environments.
All birds receive a unique bar-coded and human-readable wing band at hatch.
“The wing band allows us to record data and trace the pedigree of any bird in our system. We have hundreds of cage-free floor pens used to record nesting behavior, floor egg and nest egg production,” said Lubritz.
Individual-bird feed conversion data is part of the selection criteria. The birds with the best feed efficiency measured as grams of feed per egg mass are chosen to make next generation of birds. Hy-Line also collects feed efficiency data in cage-free systems as part of the field test program. Layers in cage-free systems eat more than layers in cage systems.
Selecting for other traits
No matter the housing system, there are five main traits egg producers around the world need:
- Increased egg numbers
- Persistency of lay
- Strong shells through the life of the hen that remain strong late into lay to better prevent cracking during handling and shipping
- Appropriate egg weight for the country, which can be customized
- High feed efficiency
Shell strength and egg weight, among other things, are tested daily at the Hy-Line research facility. (Deven King)
Some egg traits are region specific, such as egg color, environmental tolerance and egg weight.
All genetic improvements must be a careful balance of multiple performance traits and quality traits to maximize profits for producers. By enhancing genetics, producers can work with layers to achieve increased egg numbers, persistency, shell strength and other desirable qualities in various commercial housing environments.
