The broiler industry has a new tool that could boost breeder hen fertility: the drug, metformin.
Broiler breeder hens experience declining fertility as they age, forcing producers to replace flocks more frequently than ideal. This cycle drives up costs through increased pullet procurement, housing transitions, vaccination programs and the inevitable production gaps during flock changes.
New research from Pennsylvania State University suggests metformin could extend productive laying periods, potentially reducing these turnover costs by keeping hens fertile longer. Metformin is commonly prescribed to treat type 2 and is also used off-label to treat the symptoms of the main cause of infertility in women, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The study, published in the Biology of Reproduction, revealed that hens given metformin over a 40 week period laid more fertile eggs, had lower body fat and had healthier reproductive hormone levels than the control group.
Advanced gene sequencing technologies showed that metformin works at the liver level, which is where egg yolk precursors are produced.
“The study found that metformin influences liver gene expression by activating genes involved in yolk precursor production and glucose regulation while suppressing genes associated with fat accumulation. This metabolic shift helps older hens maintain better reproductive health and continue producing eggs beyond their typical decline period,” Evelyn Weaver, lead author of the study and postdoctoral fellow at the PSU Department of Animal Science, told me.
Although more work is needed before any official conclusions can be made, the findings of this study become even more exciting once you realize that metformin is inexpensive, quickly metabolized and poses no food safety concerns – addressing potential regulatory and consumer acceptance hurdles before they arise.
According to U.S. Department of Agriculture data, the number of broiler chicks produced has steadily declined over the past several years, so this and other approaches to boosting broiler breeder fertility need to be a priority for the entire industry.
