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It was commonly believed that the increase in daylight caused an increase in egg production because it allowed for more feeding time of the laying hens, although in 1939, it was discovered by two scientists, Burmester and Card, that as little as 6 hours of daylight was enough time to allow the poultry to feed. [1]
Forced molting typically involves the removal of food and/or water from poultry for an extended period of time to reinvigorate egg-laying. Forced molting, sometimes known as induced molting, is the practice by some poultry industries of artificially provoking a flock to molt simultaneously, typically by withdrawing food for 7–14 days and sometimes also withdrawing water for an extended period.
Originally, the hen presumably laid one clutch, became broody, and incubated the eggs. Selective breeding over the centuries has produced hens that lay more eggs than they can hatch. Some of this progress was ancient, but most occurred after 1900. In 1900, average egg production was 83 eggs per hen per year. In 2000, it was well over 300.
Holiday baking and cold-weather stockpiling also increased demand, and prices to boot, with a dozen grade-A large eggs costing $4.15 in December, up from $2.51 the year before (a 36% increase).
Chickens are exposed to artificial light cycles to stimulate egg production year-round. In addition, forced molting is commonly practiced in the US, in which manipulation of light and food access triggers molting, in order to increase egg size and production. Forced molting is controversial, and is prohibited in the EU.
Egg prices are already steep – and might be getting worse. The average price of a dozen Grade A large eggs was $4.15 during the month of December, said the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – an ...
In February 2016, 90 percent of egg-laying hens in Canada lived in battery cages. That month, negotiations between egg farmers, animal welfarists, and the government resulted in a moratorium on construction of new battery cages from 1 April 2017 and a gradual 15-year phaseout of battery cages towards enriched cage or cage-free systems by 2036. [23]
The loss in production helps prevent infected products from reaching the food supply. It also puts a strain on the supply chain, which may increase egg and poultry prices for the consumer.