Production of 'welfare friendly' eggs - improving bone health and reducing bone breakage in laying hens using an omega-3 modified diet

英国有2870万只蛋鸡，产蛋87亿枚。最近的估计表明，多达70%的人由于骨骼虚弱和住房条件的共同作用而遭受骨折。因此，蛋鸡的骨骼健康是一个重大的福利和经济问题，并严重损害公众对鸡蛋生产行业的看法，该行业正日益推动消费者的选择。最近蛋鸡住房的改善，减少了对活动的限制，提供了更刺激的环境，似乎是造成了这个问题的原因，可能是因为碰撞造成损害的可能性增加了。在我们目前的研究中，饲养在丰富的自由放牧环境中的羊群遭受近90%的骨断裂。这个问题变得更加紧迫，任何解决方案都变得更加及时，因为即将禁止笼养系统，要求在未来四年内将1800万只鸡‘转移’到非笼养系统，骨折和相关痛苦的流行。补充钙、维生素和氟化物的饮食在改善母鸡骨骼强度方面只取得了有限的成功。众所周知，在鱼油和亚麻籽油中发现的omega-3脂肪酸(n-3)可以增加骨量，有助于预防和缓解骨质疏松和骨关节炎等骨骼和关节疾病。我们的初步研究表明，在日粮中添加n-3可以降低蛋鸡骨折的发生率高达40%。这为计划中的研究提供了支持，该研究旨在准确衡量在专用和受控的商业自由放养生产系统中，在产蛋周期的所有阶段补充n-3对改善骨骼健康的好处，并了解将n-3与骨骼强度联系起来的生物学机制。这些研究有可能极大地惠及蛋鸡的福利，帮助鸡蛋生产行业减少浪费，并有助于解决公众长期以来对蛋鸡在提供我们饮食中必不可少的部分所受到的痛苦的关注。出于这些原因，一家工业合作伙伴已同意为这项研究提供大量设施，并提供大量财政资源。研究骨骼强度和饮食之间的联系机制也将为人类骨质疏松症的发展提供重要的洞察力，并可能支持增加n-3在预防和治疗人类骨骼疾病中的使用。这项研究实现了BBSRC的许多目标，通过了解和减轻生产系统和人类管理的特定要素通过慢性伤害损害福利的后果，并通过提高牲畜健康来改善可持续农业系统的福利。通过研究n-3在提高骨骼强度和减少骨折方面的效果，这项研究也将有助于理解饮食和健康之间的关系。

There are 28.7 million laying hens in the UK, producing 8.7 billion eggs. Recent estimates indicate that up to 70% suffer bone breakage from a combination of bone weakness and housing conditions. Skeletal health in laying hens is therefore a major welfare and economic problem, and seriously damages the public perception of the egg production industry, which is increasingly driving consumer choice. Recent improvements in the housing of laying hens, with less restriction of movement and a more stimulating environment, appear to be contributing to the problem, perhaps by increased likelihood of damage by collisions. In our current studies, flocks housed in an enriched free range environment suffer nearly 90% bone breakage. This problem is made all the more pressing, and any solution more timely, by the imminent ban on cage systems requiring that 18 million birds are 'transferred' to non-cage systems within the next four years, with an epidemic of broken bones and associated suffering. Dietary supplementation with calcium, vitamins and fluoride has demonstrated only limited success in improving bone strength in hens. It is known that omega-3 fatty acids (n-3), found in fish oil and linseed oil, can increase bone mass and help prevent and alleviate bone and joint diseases such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Our preliminary studies have indicated that dietary supplementation with n-3 reduces the incidence of bone breakage in laying hens by up to 40%. This has provided support for the planned study which is aimed at accurately measuring the benefits of supplementation with n-3 in improving skeletal health in a dedicated and controlled commercial free range production system at all stages of the laying cycle, and in understanding the biological mechanisms which link n-3 and bone strength. These studies have the potential to greatly benefit the welfare of laying hens, to help the egg production industry in reducing wastage, and to help in answering long held public concerns regarding the suffering of laying hens in providing an essential part of our diet. For these reasons, an industrial partner has agreed to dedicate substantial facilities, and contribute significant financial resources, to this study. Investigations of the mechanisms linking bone strength and diet will also provide important insight into the development of human osteoporosis, and possibly support the increased use of n-3 in preventing and treating human bone diseases. This study fulfils many of the aims of the BBSRC, by understanding and alleviating consequences of specific elements of production systems and human management which compromise welfare through chronic injury, and by improving welfare in sustainable agricultural systems through enhanced livestock fitness. By examining the consequences of n-3 in improving bone strength and reducing breakage, this study will also contribute to understanding of the relationship between diet and health.