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With the ongoing genetic improvements to increase egg production and prolong production cycles, the physiology of the hen is changing and the period of being subjected to environmental stress increases.
Stress is very often affecting the immune system of the hen resulting in lower persistency and in poor egg and day old chick quality.
Prolonging production cycles increases the period that hens are subjected to stress.
Besides the pressure on the immune system, stress also influences the endocrinological system, affecting strongly the reproductive system of the hen.
Minimizing the effect of stress on the endocrinological system will favor egg production and in particularly persistency of lay. A more robust hen will be less subjected to stress ensuring the normal functioning of the endocrinological system.
Breeding for higher peak production and better persistency implies that clutch length increases.
As a result the time an egg spends in the oviduct is reduced and time becomes a constraint in the process. Any down functioning of the albumen secretion or the calcification process will have a significant impact on the quality of the egg and of the day old chick.
Stress, having a significant effect on the immune functioning of the hen, redirects the use of the protein resulting in lower availability for albumen secretion. Albumen is the main nutrient source for the developing embryo but is also one of the key elements determining shell quality.
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