scholarly journals The Effect of the Type of Alternative Housing System, Genotype and Age of Laying Hens on Egg Quality

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 541-556 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zofia Sokołowicz ◽  
Józefa Krawczyk ◽  
Magdalena Dykiel

Abstract The present study investigated the effect of the type of alternative housing system, and genotype and age of laying hens on physical traits of egg shell and contents. It was demonstrated that alternative housing system type influenced egg weight and shape, and eggshell color and yolk color intensity. Eggs from free-range system were heavier and were characterized by more intense yolk color. No effect of alternative housing system type on albumen height, value of Haugh units (HU value) and presence of meat and blood spots was noted. Hen genotype had a significant effect on egg weight and eggshell color intensity in each of the alternative housing systems tested in this study. Hy-line Brown hens laid heavier eggs than hens of native breeds. Genotype was also observed to affect egg content traits (albumen height, HU values and presence of meat and blood spots). Independently of the type of alternative housing system, most blood and meat spots were noted in eggs of hens laying brown-shelled eggs, i.e. R-11 and Hy-line Brown layers. Laying hen age significantly impacted on egg weight, yolk percentage, eggshell traits (color intensity, weight, thickness and strength) and egg content traits (HU value, yolk weight and color intensity, presence of meat and blood spots). Older hens laid heavier eggs with a greater yolk percentage but with thinner eggshell.

2011 ◽  
Vol 50 (No. 3) ◽  
pp. 129-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Tůmová ◽  
T. Ebeid

Two experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of the time of oviposition on egg quality characteristics in two different housing systems (cages vs. litter). ISA brown hens from 20 to 64 weeks of age were housed in battery cages (550 cm<sup>2</sup>/hen, 19 526 laying hens in the house) and on deep litter (7 hen/m<sup>2</sup>, 4 652 laying hens in the house). In both houses, eggs were collected daily at three oviposition times 06:00, 10:00 and 14:00 h. Every four weeks, 90 eggs for each house (30 eggs for each oviposition time) were used for egg quality assessment. The results indicated that in cages the highest percentages (P &le; 0.001) of normal (74.47%), non-standard (0.85%) and cracked (1.80%) eggs were laid in the early morning (06:00 h). On deep litter, however, the highest percentages (P &le; 0.05) of normal sound eggs were produced at10:00 h (35.43%) and at14:00 h (33.03%). In the cage system, the heaviest eggs (63.01 g) were laid in the early morning (06:00 h) and the highest shell percentage (10.33%) was in eggs laid in the afternoon and also at 10:00 h (10.31%). On the other hand, in the litter housing system, the time of oviposition had no significant effect on egg weight and eggshell quality characteristics except for shell thickness. Morning eggs had greater shell thickness (0.398 mm) than afternoon eggs (0.390 mm). In cages and on litter, statistically significant differences in albumen height, albumen index and Haugh Units were observed between early morning eggs and afternoon eggs and data showed a pattern of relatively higher albumen quality for eggs collected in the afternoon in both systems. &nbsp;


2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (No. 1) ◽  
pp. 11-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Ketta ◽  
E. Tumova

The objective of the present study was to compare the eggshell characteristics and cuticle deposition of Lohmann Brown, Hy-Line Silver Brown, and Isa Brown layers kept in two different housing systems. The three laying hen genotypes were housed in enriched cages (100 hens, 750 cm<sup>2</sup>/hen, 10 hens/cage) and in littered pens (100 hens, 9 hens/m<sup>2</sup>, 10 hens/pen). The experiment was carried out in weeks 40–56 of hens age. Non-significant interactions of genotype and housing system for eggshell quality parameters and cuticle deposition were detected in this study. Egg weight was significantly affected by genotype (P ≤ 0.001) and housing system (P ≤ 0.043). The heaviest eggs were laid by Lohmann Brown, while the lightest eggs were produced by Hy-Line Silver Brown. Eggshell strength was not affected by genotype and housing system, however, genotype had a significant effect on eggshell thickness (P ≤ 0.033). Isa Brown eggs had thicker eggshells compared to Lohmann Brown and Hy-Line Silver Brown. However, a non-significant effect of housing system on eggshell thickness was observed. Eggshell percentage was significantly affected by both genotype and housing system. Genotype of laying hens had a significant effect on cuticle deposition; significantly higher cuticle deposition was observed in Lohmann Brown eggs (P ≤ 0.001). It could be concluded that genotype had a significant effect on eggshell quality parameters and cuticle deposition. However, the housing system effect was less important in these characteristics.


2011 ◽  
Vol 56 (No. 11) ◽  
pp. 490-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Tůmová ◽  
M. Englmaierová ◽  
Z. Ledvinka ◽  
V. Charvátová

The effect of three housing systems (conventional cages, enriched cages and litter) on egg quality parameters was evaluated in two experiments with four brown laying strains ISA Brown, Hisex Brown, Bovans Brown and Moravia BSL. During 40 weeks of lay the total number of 7200 eggs was produced and analysed for egg weight, egg component weight and eggshell quality indicators. In 60 eggs, pore density in the small-end, large-end and equatorial areas was determined. Significant interactions between genotype and housing were found out in egg weight (P &le; 0.001), yolk and albumen weight (P &le; 0.001) and yolk colour (P &le; 0.001). Haugh units were the highest in eggs laid in cages and the lowest in the ISA Brown strain. Eggshell quality indicators were affected more by genotype than by housing. The interaction between genotype and housing was not significant for eggshell thickness but it was significant for eggshell weight and strength. Although eggshell thickness was lower in eggs produced in cages, eggshell strength was higher. A significant negative correlation was found out between pore density and housing system. Results of the study suggest that the ability of a strain to produce eggs of high quality in a particular housing system should be considered, even within brown strains.


2008 ◽  
Vol 52 (No. 4) ◽  
pp. 110-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ľ. Zemková ◽  
J. Simeonovová ◽  
M. Lichovníková ◽  
K. Somerlíková

The effects of laying hen age and the housing of laying hens in conventional cages, enriched cages, litter system and outdoor system on egg weight and yolk and egg cholesterol concentration were studied. ISA brown laying hens were used in the experiment. The characteristics were measured at 39, 50, 59, 68 and 75 weeks of age. Fifteen eggs were always collected from each housing system. In total, 300 eggs were analyzed. There were not any significantly different results in the eggs from the hens living in the different housing systems or from the age of laying hens on the weight of eggs. But the housing system and the age of hens had a significant (<i>P</i> &le; 0.01) effect on both yolk and egg cholesterol concentration. The concentration of yolk and egg cholesterol was the lowest (<i>P</i> &le; 0.01) in the enriched cages (12.5 mg/g yolk and 211.2 mg/egg) and the highest in the litter technology (14.1 mg/g yolk and 242.6 mg/egg). Further, there was a significant (<i>P</i> &le; 0.01) influence of the interaction between the housing system and the age of hens on egg weight and on yolk and egg cholesterol concentration.


2009 ◽  
Vol 54 (No. 1) ◽  
pp. 17-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Tůmová ◽  
M. Skřivan ◽  
M. Englmaierová ◽  
L. Zita

The effect of egg collection time, genotype and housing system on egg quality characteristics was evaluated in an experiment with laying hens of ISA Brown, Hisex Brown and Moravia housed on litter and in conventional cages. The experiment was conducted from 20 to 64 weeks of age. Eggs were collected and recorded daily at 06:00, 10:00 and 14:00 h. Once every four weeks, two days in row, all eggs laid from each pen or cage at each oviposition time were used for egg quality analyses (total 1 694 eggs). Egg collection time was dependent on genotype. Significantly more eggs were laid at 06:00h by ISA Brown while Moravia laid eggs mainly at 10:00 and 14:00 h. Housing on litter postponed the time of oviposition. The highest egg weight (62.09 g) was recorded in Hisex Brown genotype placed in cages and at 06.00 h. Interactions of all factors were determined also in Haugh units (<I>P</i> ≤ 0.041). Eggshell strength was affected by housing system, genotype and egg collection time (<I>P</i> ≤ 0.049). It was higher in cages than on litter, and lower in the Moravia genotype in comparison with the other two strains.


2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 279-295
Author(s):  
O. A. Ogunwole,

Egg quality and durability have been directly linked to the nutrition of laying hen thus, the effects of five different supplemental vitamin-mineral premixes (VmP) in the diets of laying hens housed in battery cage (BC) and deep litter (DL) on the egg properties and shelf life stability in 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days of egg storage (DOS) were investigated in this study. In a 4-week feeding trial, Bovans Nera Black laying hens (n=480) aged 71-week were allocated to five treatments in each housing system (HS) (BC and DL). Each treatment was replicated six times and a replicate comprised eight hens. The basal isocaloric and isonitrogenous diet was appropriately supplemented with 0.25% of any of the five proprietary VmP and the diets were offered with water ad libitum to respective experimental hens in both HS. The experiment was a 2x5x5 factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design (2 HS X 5VmP X 5DOS). Foaming capacity, foaming stability, viscosity, emulsion stability, least gelation concentration and shelf life stability of egg white and whole egg from both HS decreased significantly (P<0.05)in DOS while the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS mg/MA/100g) increased in DOS. The TBARS of respective whole and egg white from hens fed VmP1 (0.048 and 0.051), 2 (0.049 and 0.054), 3(0.056 and 0.155), 4(0.156 and 0.156) and 5 (0.153 and 0.151) differed significantly (P<0.05). Interactions of HS X VmP, HS X DOS on all attributes of both whole and egg white, except specific gravity and emulsion capacity, were significantly different (P<0.05). Eggs deteriorated in DOS irrespective of dietary VmP or HS but much more for eggs from DL compared with BC.  


2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 273
Author(s):  
André Ferreira Silva ◽  
Frank George Guimarães Cruz ◽  
João Paulo Ferreira Rufino ◽  
Waldo Mateus Plácido Miller ◽  
Nathália Siqueira Flor ◽  
...  

 This study aimed to evaluate the increasing levels (0, 1, 2, 3 e 4%) of fish by-product meal in diets for laying hens on performance, egg quality and economic analysis. A total of 160 Dekalb White hens with 52-wk old were distributed in a completely randomized design with five treatments and four replicates of eight birds each. The experiment lasted 84 days divided into four periods of 21 days. Estimates of fish by-product meal levels were determined by polynomial regression. Differences (p < 0.05) were detected for all variables of performance, in egg weight, yolk and albumen percentage, yolk and albumen height, feed cost and production cost, in which the inclusion of fish by-product meal in the diets showed better results. It can be concluded that fish by-product meal can be used in diets for hens as alternative feed, with better results in egg production, feed conversion, egg weight, yolk-albumen ratio and a reduction in feed cost and production cost. 


2021 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 469-476
Author(s):  
X.J. Yi ◽  
A. Rehman ◽  
R.W. Akhtar ◽  
A. Abbas ◽  
K. Hussain ◽  
...  

This study was conducted to appraise the effects on egg quality and production performance of laying hens when drinking water was supplemented with calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg). A total of 384 (64-week-old) Hy-line Brown laying hens were assigned at random to four treatments, which consisted of CON: unsupplemented drinking water; T1: drinking water + 2 mg/L Ca + 250 mg/L Mg; T2: drinking water + 4 mg/L Ca + 510 mg/L Mg /10 L; and T3: drinking water + 5 mg/L Ca and 760 mg/L Mg. The experiment lasted six weeks. Water intake increased linearly in week 1 with the rising levels of Ca and Mg in the drinking water. Increasing the Ca and Mg levels improved eggshell strength (week 2 (P =0.01), week 5 (P =0.01), and week 6 (P = 0.03), and eggshell thickness (week 6) (P =0.02) and reduced the rate at which eggs were broken (week 4) (P =0.01). The supplemental Ca and Mg did not affect egg production, egg weight, Haugh unit, albumen height, eggshell colour, and yolk colour compared with CON. Nor did they influence the Haugh unit and albumen height after storing for 1, 5, 10 and 15 days. In conclusion, adding Ca and Mg to the drinking water increased the thickness and strength of the eggshells.


1980 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-35
Author(s):  
A.R. El Boushy ◽  
L.G.M. van Gils ◽  
M.C. Papadopoulos

Twenty groups of 36 laying hens in individual cages were fed on one of 5 diets in which the energy:protein ratio was constant. Diets 1 to 5 had crude protein 12.0, 12.9, 14.0, 15.0 and 16.0% and metabolizable energy 8.71, 9.57, 10.27, 11.10 and 11.70 MJ/kg. From 24 to 64 weeks old, egg production of hens given diets 1 to 5 was 71.46, 71.31, 72.51, 71.13 and 69.99%, respectively. Corresponding values of mean egg weight, weekly feed intake and efficiency of feed conversion were 60.51, 60.47, 61.11, 61.02, 61.07 g; 157.16, 147.56, 142.03, 130.37, 126.72 g; 3.674, 3.460, 3.262, 3.031, 3.014 kg feed/kg egg, respectively. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)


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