USPoultry donates to MSU egg-laying hen research facility

US Poultry & Egg Association is donating $25,000 to the Michigan State University’s new egg-laying hen research facility.

Dr. Janice Swanson, Michigan State University, will be presented with the $25,000 check by Gary Cooper, Chairman of US Poultry& Egg Association and COO of Cooper Farms, during the United Egg Producers Legislative meeting in Washington, DC this week.

“We had a successful 2011 International Poultry Expo. In particular, we were well supported by the commercial egg industry. Due to that success, we are very quickly able to return those funds to support the industry,” commented Gary Cooper.

The new MSU facility will provide housing and rooms to conduct research on hens in conventional cages, cage-free aviary and enriched colony stages. The facility will allow the researchers to measure performances and behavioral traits of hens using nests and perches at a variety of floor spacings per hen.

In addition to this donation, USPOULTRY’s Research program has recently funded a $72,600 project entitled, “Enriched Colony Cages: Stocking Density on Laying Hen Well-Being,” that will be conducted at Michigan State in the new facilities.

Source: US Poultry & Egg Association