July 17, 2009

A grant of GBP1.7 million (US$2.8 million) has been awarded to a University of Bristol's study that will look at how omega-3 can help laying hens avoid bone damage.

The three-year research project will investigate the benefits of omega-3 supplemented diets in laying hens. Preliminary studies suggest that by providing a diet supplemented with omega-3, breakages could be substantially reduced.

The EU will illegalise battery cages by 2012, and a serious welfare issue will arise from this because of the higher rate of bone breakage in free range systems. Broken bones in flocks housed in non-cage systems were reported in the 1990s, and latest evidence suggests the issue is getting worse, with many birds from barn and free-range flocks having sustained breaks or fractures by the end of their lifetime.

Dr. John Tarlton, who received the grant, said the EU ruling could lead to millions more laying hens suffering from bone breakage or fractures in the UK each year. Fractures can lead to gross skeletal damage and even death, resulting in wastage and loss in production, he said.

By feeding the hens with omega-3, it is hoped that welfare can be improved and injury costs can be lowered, Tarlton said. 

The study will house 16 flocks of 1,500 hens each in identical dedicated free-range systems provided by Noble Foods.

Tarlton will lead a multidisciplinary team to investigate the benefits of supplemented omega-3 diets in laying hens. They will look at the full biochemical and cellular mechanisms through which omega-3 is able to improve bone health.