Egg Qualities and Performance Characteristics of Laying Chicken in Different Intensive Housing Systems

Abstract

Performance and egg qualities parameters of layer chickens in 3 different intensive housing systems were investigated for 55 weeks. Parameters measured included daily feed intake, initial and final body weights, hen – day production, mortality rate, feed conversion ratio, feed cost per dozen eggs, egg weight, shell thickness, albumen weight, yolk weight, haugh unit, yolk length and yolk index. Housing system has significant effects (p <0.05) on the performance characteristics investigated except for the initial body weight. Meanwhile, hens in partitioned battery cage (control) gave the best results. However, except for the egg weight, the housing systems had no significant effect (p>0.05) on other egg quality parameters measured. Partitioned (conventional) battery cage is still the best system of housing laying chickens, although extended battery cage may be adopted to meet some of the welfare specifications.

Keywords: Housing system, layer-chicken, Performance and egg quality parameters.

JOAFSS Vol. 4 (1) 2006: pp. 160-165