MSU and M-AAA Create National Model for Modern Laying Hen Research

By Andi Anderson

Agriculture requires constant adaptation, and land‑grant universities play an important role in helping farmers adjust to new challenges. More than ten years ago, Michigan State University demonstrated this commitment when leaders began building a new aviary facility to help egg producers respond to updated state legislation governing the housing of laying hens and other farm animals.

Completed in 2012, the facility was the first public research aviary of its kind in the United States. At the time, no other land‑grant university had similar infrastructure capable of studying the changing production needs linked to new regulations.

The project quickly became a regional resource for states such as Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana. Researchers, egg producers, and industry experts were able to collaborate on important questions related to animal welfare, egg production systems, and the management of aviary operations.

Since its opening, several new facilities have been built nationwide, but continuous upgrades to the MSU Poultry Teaching and Research Center have kept Michigan State University at the front of this research field.

These improvements support producers, inform policymakers, and help strengthen Michigan’s agricultural economy. Michigan remains one of the nation’s top egg‑producing states, ranking seventh with more than 5 billion eggs produced each year, according to Michigan Allied Poultry Industries.

Nancy Barr, executive director of MAPI, emphasized the importance of MSU’s role in supporting the state’s food system. “If you think about the fact that our egg layers produce all the eggs we need in Michigan and then beyond, that’s a big food source,” she said. “For food security, food safety, animal welfare, sustainability and all these issues we deal with in an incredibly critical area like food production, we need MSU. We want to continue the strong collaboration, and we want to make sure there’s financial support so that the university can prioritize the land-grant part of Michigan State University.”

The project and the ongoing research would not have been possible without the Michigan Alliance for Animal Agriculture (M‑AAA), a partnership uniting MSU, Michigan’s animal agriculture industries, and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Their support continues to strengthen MSU’s leadership in laying hen research and agricultural innovation.

Photo Credit: michigan-state-university-msu