Do or don’t: pushing for oversized eggs
Laying hens are crucial for the global egg and poultry industry, as they are producing a healthy and affordable source of animal protein via the production of eggs. Maximizing egg weight can be a tool to increase egg mass output; however, this approach may inadvertently compromise the welfare, egg laying persistency and livability of laying hens. As egg weight is not a trait that stands on its own, we have listed several attention points that are affected by egg size below.
Egg weight and it’s impact on the welfare of laying hens:
Skeletal Health: Laying heavy eggs can lead to skeletal issues in hens, such as osteoporosis and bone fractures. New research from the University of Copenhagen shows that too big eggs in combination with small hens may cause a higher risk for keel bone fractures and may thus negatively affect animal welfare, as the egg will push the gizzard towards the tip of the keel (Christensen, Thøfner, & Traczyk, 2021). In another study they showed the prevalence of keel bone fractures reduced 12% by each week of delay at the onset of lay, by 3% for every gram reduction of egg weight and 3% for each 100 gram increase on body weight (Thøfner, Dahl, & Christensen, 2021).
Reproductive Health: Hens forced to lay eggs with unnaturally high egg weights may experience reproductive disorders, including prolapsed cloaca and egg-binding. These conditions not only cause a lot of distress, but also contribute to increased mortality rates and reduced welfare among laying hens. To minimize the risk for reproductive disorders, it’s important to provide enough time for the laying hens to fully mature their reproductive tract prior to the moment of photo stimulation.
Behavior: Laying bigger eggs may induce stress in laying hens, this stress may affect their own behavior and thereby impacting the overall social interactions within the flock of laying hens. Aggressive behaviors, like feather pecking and cannibalism are often observed in laying hen flocks subjected to high egg weight demands.
Maintaining a flat egg weight curve contributes to improved livability and persistency. A flat egg weight curve refers to a consistent and balanced distribution of egg weights within a flock over time. Pushing for high egg weights often results in a skewed curve, where some hens produce excessively heavy eggs. Flocks containing laying hens that are subjected to excessive pressure to produce heavy eggs are likely to experience higher mortality rates, higher incidence of keel bone fractures and poorer feather cover, reducing not only the economic sustainability of egg production operations, but also it’s image, negatively affecting the societal acceptance of intensive farming.
Our eggs are always fresh and always delicious. Our eggs are laid by happy chickens. Taste what a difference fresh and natural can make.
Our eggs are better than organic, they are farm fresh eggs. Our eggs can either be white or brown (shell color has no bearing on the egg contents and nutrients).
We have the following Egg sizes:
Small (43g - 53g)
Medium (53g - 63g)
Large (63g - 73g)
Packing: A wide range of best quality and strong seaworthy export cartons is available. All cartons contain 360 eggs packed on trays. Each carton contains 12 trays, containing 30 eggs each.
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Av. 04 S/No. Quadra 13,
São Paulo, São Paulo, 13010, BR
Business Whatsapp: +55 61 3550-8139
Email Us: brazilfrozenfood@gmail.com
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