Harvesting Healthier Eggs Using Agricultural Byproducts

Egg farmers in the Northeast face tight margins, volatile feed costs, and increasing pressure to reduce environmental impacts. Soybean meal is a dominant protein source in poultry feed which can be expensive and resource‑intensive. A recently completed Northeast SARE project evaluated hempseed meal and defatted microalgae, two nutrient‑dense byproducts, as alternative feed ingredients for laying hens. Researchers tested diets containing hempseed meal alone, microalgae alone, and a combination of both to assess effects on hen health, egg production, egg nutrition (especially omega‑3 fatty acids), and manure emissions.

The project was led by graduate student Keith Ou at Cornell University, under the guidance of faculty advisor Dr. Xingen Lei, an expert in poultry nutrition and sustainable feed systems. Together with Cornell research staff and students, the team conducted controlled feeding trials and extensive outreach to farmers and industry stakeholders across the Northeast.

Ou and team explored whether agricultural byproducts, hempseed meal and microalgae, could help egg farmers produce more nutritious, climate‑friendly eggs while maintaining bird health and productivity.