Study links glucosamine to better shell quality in aged hens

A new study in Animals reports that adding dietary glucosamine to feed improved production performance, eggshell quality, and liver health markers in aged laying hens. In the 4-week trial, 144 older hens were assigned to a control diet or diets containing 0.15% or 0.35% glucosamine. The researchers found higher laying rates, stronger and thicker eggshells, and a lower feed-to-egg ratio in supplemented birds, with the 0.35% group also showing signs of reduced hepatic steatosis and better antioxidant status. The paper was published March 13, 2026, in Animals as volume 16, issue 6, article 910. (agris.fao.org)

Why it matters: Eggshell quality and metabolic health both tend to decline as hens age, creating economic pressure in late-lay flocks and raising management challenges for veterinarians and poultry health teams. This study suggests glucosamine may have potential as a nutrition-based tool to support shell quality and liver function at the same time, with transcript-level signals pointing to effects on fatty acid metabolism, oxidative stress, inflammation, and eggshell matrix protein synthesis. That broader interest fits with other recent Animals work in aging hens: for example, a 4-week trial of α-mangostin found that 120 mg/kg improved feed efficiency and eggshell strength, increased antioxidant capacity, lowered interleukin-1β in serum and uterine tissue, and upregulated uterine biomineralization genes including TRPV6, ATP2B2, and OC-116. Together, these studies reinforce the idea that late-lay shell quality may be influenced through both metabolic and uterine pathways. Still, the evidence comes from short, single studies in older hens, so field applicability, optimal dosing, cost-effectiveness, and reproducibility will need closer scrutiny before broad adoption. (agris.fao.org)

What to watch: Watch for follow-up trials in commercial late-lay flocks, dose-validation work, and any independent replication comparing glucosamine with other nutritional strategies already being studied for aged hens, including plant-derived additives such as α-mangostin that target oxidative stress, inflammation, and uterine calcium transport and shell matrix pathways. (sciencedirect.com)