Major funding award to enhance breeding of laying hens

Researchers led by Michael Toscano at the Center for Proper Housing of Poultry and Rabbits (ZTHZ) in Zollikofen, Switzerland, were able to show how chickens use an environment that corresponds to a commercial laying hen barn. For instance, their work has shown that the birds seem to maintain regular schedules as they move through the various barn and outside areas including the wintergarden. Michael Toscano - Open Philanthropy, a foundation based in California, USA, will support animal welfare scientist Michael J Toscano of the University of Bern and industrial collaborators. The funding of $2.7 million will be used to promote cage-free housing for laying hens and improve their welfare and health through new breeding programs. Open Philanthropy supports initiatives to improve animal welfare with a focus on projects likely to cause large global changes and has a particular interest in promoting the transition away from cage housing systems for laying hens. The HenTrack project by Michael Toscano of the University of Bern's Veterinary Public Health Institute (VPHI) and the leading suppliers of laying hen genetics, Lohmann Breeders in Germany and Hendrix Genetics in the Netherlands, aims to do just that: it uses the latest findings from behavioral research on hens kept in cage-free housing with and without outdoor areas to incorporate them into breeding programs for laying hens. Now, Open Philanthropy is supporting the HenTrack project with $2.7 million.