Breeding a healthier hen is possible

Postdoctoral researcher Tom Berghof discovered that it’s possible to breed selectively on the amount of ‘natural antibodies’ (NAbs) in laying hens. And perhaps more importantly, NAbs are predictive in terms of disease resistance. For decades, there has been demand from commercial poultry farms for hens with the highest possible resistance to diseases. “Especially since in an increasing number of countries worldwide, antibiotics may not be used as a preventive measure to combat disease,