Surprising relation found between eggshell color and disease resistance

  • Tom Berghof

Press/Media: ResearchOther

Description

The current housings systems in the poultry industry increase the spread of diseases by housing large flocks of chickens on sand. These circumstances require a robust laying hen. Selection for a recently discovered immune characteristic is a potential strategy to improve general disease resistance in laying hens and thus to breed for a more robust chicken, conclude researchers of Wageningen University in PLOS ONE and Poultry Science. In addition, selection for this immune characteristic has minimal negative consequences on production, but surprisingly might have an effect on eggshell color.

Period26 Nov 2015

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