Hens that remain productive longer: genetics supporting sustainable poultry farming

Given the economic and environmental challenges, extending the productive lifespan of laying hens has become a priority for the poultry industry. Today, hens are typically culled around 75 weeks of age due to a decline in egg production and a deterioration in shell quality. The goal is now to exceed 90 to 100 weeks while maintaining good performance.

Genomic selection offers promising prospects for achieving this. It improves the precision of selection, particularly for traits that manifest later in life, such as laying persistence. At the same time, shortening the generation interval can accelerate genetic progress, but raises questions about its effects on genetic diversity.

The study relies on stochastic simulations comparing several selection scenarios, incorporating different generation intervals and genotyping strategies. The results show that shortening this interval significantly increases annual genetic gain. However, this acceleration is accompanied by an increase in the inbreeding rate, sometimes exceeding recommended thresholds.

An interesting compromise emerges with overlapping generation schemes, which offer a good balance between performance and control of genetic risks. Furthermore, genotyping females, in addition to males, significantly improves the accuracy of evaluations

Contact : Mathilde Doublet

Reference :
Mathilde Doublet, Frédéric Lecerf, Torsten Pook, Hervé Chapuis, Jérôme Raoul, Florian Herry, Sophie Brad-Fudulea, Gwendal Restoux, Florence Phocas, Sophie Allais. Stochastic simulations to optimize genomic selection for laying hens: impact of generation interval and genotyping in the context of extended laying period. Poultry Science, 2026, 106870, ISSN 0032-5791, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2026.106870.