Year Awarded 2023
FFAR award amount $1,489,326
Total award amount $3,991,105
Location Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Program Layer Hen Keel Bone Health Program
Matching Funders Hy-Line International; Lohmann Breeders GmbH; Open Philanthropy; Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh; Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; Universidad de Granada; University of Alberta
Grantee Institution University of Edinburgh
The Layer Hen Keel Bone Health program seeks to improve welfare in commercial laying hens and increase farmer productivity. This research team is using x-ray images and machine learning to refine and validate the measurements of bone quality and keel damage in living hens to inform the selection of hens to reduce keel bone damage. This work is also examining if breeding programs for improved keel health need to vary depending upon poultry housing design.