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How did annual egg production per hen change between 1910 and the early 21st century?
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Poultry farming
Young chickens in an organic poultry farm.
In the context of poultry farming, annual egg production per hen has seen a significant increase due to advancements in animal breeding, intensive nutritional research, and scientific disease control.
Specifically, annual egg production per hen rose from approximately 100 eggs in 1910 to over 300 eggs by the early 21st century. This dramatic improvement is largely attributed to the application of genetic principles, such as inbreeding and crossbreeding, which maximize heterosis to enhance the productivity of egg-laying strains.1