The effect of an enriched laying environment on welfare, performance, and egg quality parameters of laying hens kept in a cage system

The aim of the study was to determine daily changes in some egg quality parameters, indirectly reflecting egg freshness, and to assess the possibility of predicting time from laying using mathematical methods. The study material consisted of 365 table eggs of medium (M, ≥53 g and <63 g) and large (L, ≥63 g and <73 g) weight classes (commercial stock, cage system, brown-shelled eggs) collected on the same day. Eggs were numbered individually and placed on transport trays and stored (14 °C, 70% RH). Every day, for 35 days, egg quality characteristics were analyzed (10 eggs per group). The change of traits in time was analyzed on the basis of linear and polynomial regression equations, depending on the trait. Based on model fitting, eight traits were selected as those most affected by storage time: egg weight and specific weight, Haugh units, albumen weight, air cell depth, yolk index, albumen and yolk pH. These traits, excluding those related to the weight, were then used in a multiple linear regression model to predict egg age. All regression models presented in this study were characterized by high predictive efficiency, which was confirmed by comparison of the observed and estimated values.

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The influence of strain and age on some egg quality parameters of commercial laying hens

Biotechnology in Animal Husbandry ◽

10.2298/bah1104649k ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 27 (4) ◽

pp. 1649-1658 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

D. Kocevski ◽

N. Nikolova ◽

A. Kuzelov

Keyword(s):

Laying Hens ◽

Egg Quality ◽

Quality Parameters ◽

Older Age ◽

White Line ◽

Egg Weight ◽

Statistical Significant Difference ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Breeding Technology ◽

Egg Shell

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of strain and age on some egg quality parameters (egg weight and egg shell strength) of commercial laying hens. Layers of lines ISA Brown and DeKalb White were examined in period of nine months. Both lines were at same age (28 weeks) and were confined in common facility in battery cages. Laying hens were reared and fed according to standard breeding technology. Once a month 25 eggs of each line were taken to be examined for eggshell strength and egg weight, or in other words, total 450 table eggs were tested. Analises were done in Laboratory for testing egg quality by gaudges Egg Multi Tester EMT 5200 and Egg shell Gauge (Robotmation Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) which have computerised equipment to examine quality and physical characteristics of eggs. Statistic analyses on results were done by computer sub-programme ANOVA and Fisher's LSD test to determine the level of statistical significant difference between examined factors. Egg weight was under significant impact of age (P ? 0,05), but not under the influence of strain, although eggs of ISA Brown line were insignificantly heavier than eggs of DeKalb White line. Eggs were heaviest at layers with older age, while they were lightest at younger birds. The results have shown significant differences (P ? 0,05) in eggshell strength compared to line influence (genotype) and months of age. Eggs from ISA Brown laying hens had much better and eggshell strength than those eggs from DeKalb White. Correlations between eggshell strength and egg weight were with significant (R < 0,05) negative value, which indicating that with increasing egg weight decreases of eggshell strength.

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FEEDING VALUE OF RAPESEED FOR LAYING HENS

Canadian Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.4141/cjas72-067 ◽

1972 ◽

Vol 52 (3) ◽

pp. 563-566 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

A. J. LESLIE ◽

J. D. SUMMERS

Keyword(s):

Egg Production ◽

Laying Hens ◽

Egg Quality ◽

Experimental Period ◽

Quality Parameters ◽

Feed Consumption ◽

Feeding Value ◽

And Performance ◽

Feeding Diets ◽

Haugh Unit

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of feeding diets containing 0, 5, 10, and 15% ground raw rapeseed to three replicates of 14 laying hens each. Isocaloric isonitrogenous diets were fed for a 28-day experimental period and performance and egg quality parameters were measured. Egg production was depressed at the two higher levels of rapeseed inclusion but was not affected at the 5% level of inclusion. Haugh unit, albumen height, and shell deformation were not affected significantly (P > 0.05) but egg weight decreased progressively as rapeseed inclusion increased. Feed consumption was significantly depressed (P < 0.05) at the 15% level of rapeseed and slightly reduced at the other levels.

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Effects of dietary copper supplementation on performance, egg quality parameters, yolk cholesterol and fatty acid profiles in laying hens

Indian Journal of Animal Research ◽

10.18805/ijar.b-830 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

H. Kaya ◽

A. Kaya ◽

M. Macit ◽

S. Çelebi ◽

Ö. Kaynar

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acid ◽

Fatty Acid Profile ◽

Laying Hens ◽

Egg Quality ◽

Control Diet ◽

Basal Diet ◽

Quality Parameters ◽

Dietary Copper ◽

Copper Supplementation ◽

Yolk Cholesterol

The present study envisaged the effects of different levels of dietary copper supplementation on performance, egg quality parameters, serum and yolk cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and yolk fatty acid profile in laying hens. Total 96 Lohman laying hens (38 weeks old) were randomly divided into four groups (n=24 each). Experimental diets were prepared by adding copper (0, 200, 250 or 300 mg/kg) to basal diet and feeding was lasted 12 weeks. Dietary copper supplementation decreased egg weight and feed intake but did not affect other performance parameters compared to the control diet. Shape index, shell weight, shell thickness, yolk color, yolk index, albumen index, and haugh unit were not influenced by dietary copper supplementation, whereas shell strength increased due to the inclusion of copper in the basal diet. Copper supplementation did not affect the fatty acid profile of the egg yolk. The yolk cholesterol ratio decreased by 7.22% in the presence of 250 mg/kg copper supplementation compared to control diet. Therefore, high levels of dietary copper supplementation in the diet of laying hens can be beneficial for improving shell strength and reducing the cholesterol content of the yolk.

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Productivity and Egg Quality of Two Commercial Layer Hybrids Kept in Free-Range System

Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology ◽

10.24925/turjaf.v6i10.1444-1447.2070 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 (10) ◽

pp. 1444

Author(s):

Muhittin Tutkun ◽

Muzaffer Denli ◽

Ramazan Demirel

Keyword(s):

Feed Intake ◽

Feed Efficiency ◽

Laying Hens ◽

Egg Quality ◽

Stocking Density ◽

Quality Parameters ◽

Production Performance ◽

Poultry House ◽

Free Range

The purpose of this study was to compare the performance and egg quality parameters of two layer hybrids (Lohmann Brown and Atak-S) which were reared in free-range system. The experiment was carried out with a total of 300 laying hens. From 18 to 50 weeks of age Lohmann Brown (LB) and Atak-S (AS) were housed in two groups of 150 hens in a poultry house with a stocking density of 7 hens/m2. The 2 trial groups were formed from 10 repetitions each consisting of 15 hens. At the 20, 30, 40 and 50 weeks of ages, the production performance and egg quality parameters were evaluated. Mean daily feed intake and feed efficiency through the trial were 111.2 g vs 124.3 g, and 2.46 vs 2.58 respectively for LB and AS hybrids (P

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Xylanase impact beyond performance: A microbiome approach in laying hens

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0257681 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (9) ◽

pp. e0257681

Author(s):

Veerle Van Hoeck ◽

Ingrid Somers ◽

Anas Abdelqader ◽

Alexandra L. Wealleans ◽

Sandy Van de Craen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Laying Hens ◽

Egg Quality ◽

Dietary Supplementation ◽

Quality Parameters ◽

Laying Hen ◽

Control Treatment ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Significant Shift ◽

Microbial Composition ◽

16S Rrna Gene Analysis

Anti-nutritional compounds such as non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) are present in viscous cereals used in feed for poultry. Therefore, exogenous carbohydrases are commonly added to monogastric feed to degrade these NSP. Our hypothesis is that xylanase not only improves laying hen performance and digestibility, but also induces a significant shift in microbial composition within the intestinal tract and thereby might exert a prebiotic effect. In this context, a better understanding on whether and how the chicken gut microbial population can be modulated by xylanase is required. To do so, the effects of dietary supplementation of xylanase on performance, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) and cecal microbiome in laying hens were evaluated in the present study. A total of 96 HiSex laying hens were used in this experiment (3 diets and 16 replicates of 2 hens). Xylanase was added to the diets at concentrations of 0, 45,000 (15 g/t XygestTM HT) and 90,000 U/kg (30 g/t Xygest HT). The diets were based on wheat (~55%), soybean and sunflower meal. The lowest dosage, 45,000 U/kg, significantly increased average egg weight and improved feed efficiency compared to the control treatment (P<0.05). Egg quality parameters were significantly improved in the experiment in response to the xylanase addition. For example, during the last 28 days of the trial, birds receiving the 45,000 U/kg and the 90,000 U/kg treatments exhibited an increase in Haugh units and albumin heights (P<0.05). Compared with the control, the ATTD of organic matter and crude protein were drastically improved in the 45,000 U/kg treatment group (P<0.05). Furthermore, gross energy and the ATTD of crude fat were improved significantly for birds fed 90,000 U/kg group compared to the control. Importantly, 16S rRNA gene analysis revealed that xylanase at 45,000 U/kg dosage can exert a change in the cecal microbiome. A significant increase in beneficial bacteria (Bacilli class; Enterococcaceae and Lactobacillales orders; Merdibacter, Enterococcus and Nocardiopsis genera; Enterococcus casseliflavus species) was documented when adding 45,000 U/kg xylanase to the diet of laying hens. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of xylanase 45,000 U/kg significantly improved laying hen performance and digestibility. Furthermore, microbiome data suggest that xylanase modulates the laying hen bacterial population beneficially, thus potentially exerting a prebiotic effect.

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The effect of deshelled and shell-reduced mussel meal on egg quality parameters of organic laying hens under commercial conditions

The Journal of Applied Poultry Research ◽

10.1016/j.japr.2020.100119 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 30 (1) ◽

pp. 100119

Author(s):

M.E. van der Heide ◽

N.F. Johansen ◽

U. Kidmose ◽

J.V. Nørgaard ◽

M. Hammershøj

Keyword(s):

Laying Hens ◽

Egg Quality ◽

Quality Parameters

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The effects of diets supplemented with crushed and extracted grape seed on performance, egg quality parameters, yolk peroxidation and serum traits in laying hens

10.1399/eps.2014.59 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

A. Kaya ◽

B.A. Yıldırım ◽

H. Kaya ◽

M. Gül ◽

Ş. Çelebi

Keyword(s):

Laying Hens ◽

Egg Quality ◽

Grape Seed ◽

Quality Parameters

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Quality of eggs in different production systems

Czech Journal of Food Sciences ◽

10.17221/33/2016-cjfs ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 34 (No. 4) ◽

pp. 370-376 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

G. Yenice ◽

O. Kaynar ◽

M. Ileriturk ◽

F. Hira ◽

A. Hayirli

Keyword(s):

Egg Quality ◽

Production Systems ◽

Protein Profile ◽

Type System ◽

Quality Parameters ◽

Family Type ◽

System Quality ◽

Free Range ◽

Cage System

This experiment was carried out to compare morphological egg quality parameters, as well as lipid and protein profiles, of brown eggs laid by chickens reared under different production systems: cage, free-range, and family type. A total of 270 brown eggs were obtained from commercial poultry companies raising Lohmann Brown laying hens in a cage system and free-range unit as well as families possessing hens in their yards. The egg lipid and protein contents, as well as lipid and protein profile, varied among the production systems. However, eggs from the free-range system had similar characteristics to those from the cage system. Quality of eggs from the family type system was quite variable. In conclusion, egg quality can be affected by the production system.

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Egg quality and production performance of laying hens injected with growth hormone and testosterone in the late phase of production

Animal Production Science ◽

10.1071/an14111 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 56 (1) ◽

pp. 147

Author(s):

H. Mohammadi ◽

Z. Ansari-Pirsaraei ◽

S. N. Mousavi ◽

M. Bouyeh ◽

A. Gholibeikifard ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Growth Hormone ◽

Egg Production ◽

Laying Hens ◽

Egg Quality ◽

Quality Parameters ◽

Production Performance ◽

Fixed Dose ◽

Control Group ◽

Egg Mass ◽

Positive Effects

In this study, 160 73-week-old laying hens (HyLine W-36) were used to investigate the changes in production performance and egg quality parameters of aged laying hens after injection of different doses of growth hormone (GH) and a fixed dose of testosterone (Ts). The hens were weighed individually, placed in laying cages and then randomly assigned to four treatments with four replicates of 10 birds each, in a completely randomised design. The experiment was started at the 75th week and lasted until the 82nd week of age. The treatments were: 1: injection of 100 µL distilled water (control group), 2: injection of 500 µg Ts/kg liveweight + 50 µg GH/kg liveweight, 3: injection of 500 µg Ts/kg liveweight + 100 µg GH/kg liveweight and 4: injection of 500 µg Ts/kg liveweight + 150 µg GH/kg liveweight. In this study, ovulation rate (egg production percent), egg mass and feed intake were significantly higher in Treatment 3 than the control group (P < 0.05), and in Treatment 4, feed conversion ratio was significantly higher than for the other experimental groups (P < 0.05). In addition, the birds in Treatment 3 showed greater egg weight, albumen height, eggshell weight, eggshell density and eggshell weight per surface area than the control group (P < 0.05). In Treatment 3, egg length significantly increased compared with Treatments 1 and 4 (P < 0.05), and in Treatments 2 and 4, shell breaking strength was significantly lower than for the control group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, our results showed positive effects of GH and Ts administration on egg quality parameters and production performance in aged laying hens. Taken together, in the present study Treatment 3 was found more effective in improving egg quality and production performance of the old laying hens.

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