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Description: As late as 1950, most laying chickens were managed in flocks of 50 to 500 on conventional farms, in hen houses such as that shown in this image. These farms usually were diversified, often with other animals such as beef cattle, hogs and/or dairy cattle on the same farm. While some small layer flocks remain mostly for consumption at home, by 2000 the overwhelming majority of eggs were produced on specialized farms with hundreds of thousands of layers. During this period, annual average egg production per bird nearly doubled, owing principally to selection for egg production and improved management - especially nutrition. By 2000, annual production averaged about 260 eggs in commercial layer flocks, chickens are now known to produce an egg daily for an entire year.

Resolution: 1919x1272

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