Effects of housing systems and different dietary proprietary vitamin-mineral premixes on performance characteristics and haematology of pullets from weeks 10 to 21

Abstract

Effects of two housing systems (HS) and five dietary Proprietary vitamin-mineral premixes (Pvmp) on performance characteristics, haematology and selected serum biochemical indices of pullets from week 10 to 21 of life was investigated. Bovan nera pullets (n = 576) aged 16 weeks were divided into two equal portions of 288 pullets. Each portion was managed in conventional battery cage systems (BCS) and an open-sided deep litter system (DLS), respectively. Pullets were allotted to six dietary treatments of 48 pullets per treatment both in BCS and DLS. Each treatment was replicated six times with eight pullets per replicate. Six isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets were formulated: T1 was without test premix, while T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6 were each supplemented appropriately with 0.25% premixes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively. The experiment was a 2 x 6 factorial arrangement in a completely randomised design. Effect of HS on final liveweight (FLW), daily feed intake (DFI), number of eggs produced (EP) and hen day egg production (HDEP) were significant (p<0.05). The DFI of pullets increased linearly in DLS (R²=0.82) (p<0.05) and BCS (R²=0.57). The HDEP (%) in BCS (8.19) was higher (p<0.05) than in DLS (3.95). Dietary Pvmp increased (p<0.05) HDEP from 3.18 in pullets on T1 to 5.58 (T3), 5.90 (T4), 6.96 (T6), 7.24 (T5) and 7.54 (T2). Pullets in both BCS and DLS laid first egg at day 122 of life. However, dietary Pvmp led to significantly varied (p>0.05) onset of laying from 122 to 131 days. Effects of interaction of HS and Pvmp on FLW, EP and HDEP were significant (p<0.05). Haematological indices of pullets in both HS were similar (p>0.05) but varied significantly (p<0.05) with dietary Pvmp as well as interactions of HS and Pvmp. Therefore, effect of HS, type of dietary Pvmp and the interactions of HS and Pvmp influenced the performance characterics of pullets in this study.

Keywords: Hen day egg production, Deep litter system, Battery cage system, Laying pullets, Blood differential counts