Nutritional additive strengthens chicken bones, study finds 4 March 2021 | Betaine could aid programmes to improve bone quality in hens that lay eggs, scientists say A widely used feed additive in swine and poultry improves bone strength in laying hens, researchers have found, a finding they say could help breeders decide which animals to breed. The nutritional additive, betaine, could complement programmes to improve bone quality in hens that lay eggs, which are at risk of osteoporosis, scientists concluded. In a separate Roslin Institute study, it was found that selection for hens with an adaption to store calcium that is associated with bone strength, known as mineralisation of medullary bone, could also improve bone quality.