Longitudinal analysis of keel bone in laying hens using automated radiographic measurements

Background

Globally, over 7 billion laying hens produce approximately 1.5 trillion eggs each year (FAO, 2023), providing a high-quality source of protein in human nutrition. Keel bone damage, including deviations and fractures, is a widespread welfare concern that negatively affects hens’ mobility, comfort, and productivity.

Recent advances in deep learning and computer vision have enabled the automated extraction of keel bone metrics from radiographic images. These methods allow for consistent, large-scale phenotyping without the need for manual annotation.

There is limited understanding of how keel bone characteristics change over time within the same individuals. Insights into these temporal dynamics are essential for developing effective interventions, guiding selective breeding for robustness, and ultimately reducing the prevalence of keel bone damage in commercial flocks.

Goal

The aim of this project is to analyze the progression of keel bone characteristics in laying hens over time using automatically extracted measurements from radiographs. The focus is on understanding temporal patterns and age-related changes to support breeding and management strategies that improve keel bone health.

Project Description

This project will utilize an existing dataset comprising radiographic images and automatically derived keel bone measurements from individual laying hens across multiple time points. The analysis will investigate how the keel bone’s concave area changes with age, as well as the variation in bone mineralization at earlier ages.

The student will be responsible for organizing and preparing the dataset, performing exploratory analyses and visualizations, and applying appropriate statistical models.

The findings will contribute to the development of improved phenotyping protocols, more targeted selection strategies, and refined management practices to promote keel bone health and welfare.

Specifications

Level: Master’s thesis (30 or 60 ECTS)

Suitable for: Animal Science, Veterinary Science, or related fields