In an era of rising grocery costs, eggs remain one of the most accessible and complete protein sources for families. New research from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience (CTAHR) is investigating how chickens age to help keep that high-quality protein on dinner tables. The study, published in Poultry Science , found that as laying hens age, significant changes occur in their gut health that negatively affect egg production.
Productivity gap
At their peak, up to 97% of high-performing hens lay eggs. But by 100 weeks, that number can drop to 70% or 75%. While a 75% success rate sounds high, it represents a major economic drain across the industry.
"A farmer is losing roughly 20–22% eggs, but still providing expensive feed to the chickens. We are trying to minimize those costs to help farmers survive financially," said Md Ahosanul Haque Shahid, a PhD student in the Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences and the study's lead author.
Starts in the gut
Working in the laboratory of UH Associate Professor Birendra Mishra, Shahid's research focuses on the community of microorganisms living in the chicken's digestive tract.
Older hens appear to prioritize survival and physiological maintenance over reproductive output. As the chickens age, their bodies stop producing the natural chemicals and enzymes needed to break down food effectively.
As hens get older, the "instructions" in their DNA that manage nutrition and immunity begin to fade. This causes the lining of their gut to weaken—a condition known as "leaky gut"—which allows vital nutrients to escape. Because these nutrients aren't being absorbed properly, the hen's body doesn't have enough energy to send to its reproductive system. Without that steady fuel supply, the hen simply cannot produce as many eggs as she used to.
Local impact, global reach
The study utilized chickens sourced from local Hawaiʻi farms, meaning the findings are specifically relevant to the islands' unique environmental conditions.
However, the implications are global. As further molecular investigation is still going, by identifying the specific genes and molecular pathways that change with age, the researchers hope to develop new "nutrient strategies" and management protocols that can boost production by even 1% or 2%.
"That 2% makes a huge difference because you're talking about tens of thousands of chickens," Shahid said. "It's a tremendous amount of affordable protein that can feed thousands of families."
The post Keeping eggs affordable through innovative poultry research first appeared on University of Hawaiʻi System News .
