1MG FlippingBooks
Good eggs: roaming chickens more productive than nest-dwellers
Elizabeth Gracie
Researchers at Australia’s University of New England (UNE) have found that free-range chickens are more productive when it comes to egg-laying due to increased levels of general wellbeing in one of the most ambitious chicken tracking projects ever undertaken.
The project was conducted in collaboration with the Precision Agriculture Research Group and the Computation, Analytics, Software, and Informatics team at UNE.
Dr. Isabelle Ruhnke from UNE led the project and used electronic tags to track approximately 15,625 chickens across five separate free-range chicken sheds from the age of 16 weeks to 74 weeks when they were removed from the shed.
She found that chickens who are free-range produce 15 - 20 percent more eggs at 22 weeks of age than those who stay in the nest, overturning a long-held belief of egg producers that ranging chickens are less productive.
According to Dr. Ruhnke, a 15 percent difference in productive capacity is significant.
“In some operations, a one percent increase in egg output can translate to hundreds of thousands of dollars in extra revenue a year”.
However Dr. Ruhnke says it is important to remember that giving chickens the opportunity to range does not necessarily mean they will accept the offer.
“Despite thousands of generations of domestication, some birds are likely to feel vulnerable under open skies and feel safer undercover” said Dr. Ruhkne.
The findings of this research also opened up questions surrounding chicken management and feeding habits.
“If the ‘rangers’ and the ‘stayers’ peak with their production at different times, as we have found, then producers can probably benefit from providing different feed mixes to the chickens often found outside, the lower feeders tiers of the shed, and those who rarely leave but stay on higher in-shed structures,” said Dr. Ruhkne.
“Feed can represent up to 70 percent of the cost of egg production”.
According to UNE, the project has shown the value of tracking individual hens to identify patterns of behavior.
NEWS
A grower focused event exploring practical science for stronger crops. Keynote speaker is Dr David Marks, Managing Director of Levity Crop Science. Wednesday, 13th August 2025.
Technical improvements have made locally engineered Draper Pickup Front the 'only one to buy'.
Central Steel Build is a leader in the design and construction of bespoke steel structures for agriculture and beyond. With 50 years of experience and a long list of pioneering achievements, it customises locally made, durable sheds for both on-farm use and across the agricultural supply chain, supporting clients from paddock to port.
CEA, a leading provider of equipment to the agriculture, construction, mining, earthmoving, infrastructure, defence, waste management, mining, and recycling sectors, is pleased to announce a significant expansion of its business to include two new branch locations in Central Queensland: Rockhampton and Mackay (formerly Terrequipe). This strategic move emphasises CEA's unwavering commitment to growth while reinforcing its
Nature is still too complex for artificial intelligence (AI) modelling to be effective, but the tipping point is close, according to a new study that found the technology may still trip at the last real-world hurdle.
Feedlot cattle with access to grooming brushes are generally more content, sociable and have less stress, according to recent research out of Murdoch University’s Centre for Animal Production and Health.
