Calcium and phosphorus dynamics in commercial laying hens housed in conventional or enriched cage systems

Abstract

Calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) dynamics in Shaver White hens (19-63 wk of age) were compared between enriched (EC) and conventional cage (CC) systems. Calcium and P intake and their levels in egg components and excreta were considered. Using commercial levels of production (4,836 hens), 10 test cages/system (24 hens/test cage) were used as replicate units. Enriched cages provided a nesting area, scratch pad, perches, and more floor space (643 cm(2)/hen ) than CC (468 cm(2)/hen). All birds were offered similar phase-fed diets based on wheat-soybean formulation and housed under semicontrolled environmental conditions for 11 periods (28 d each). Egg weight, production, and shell quality indices (egg specific gravity, shell weight, thickness, and percentage shell) were also measured. Data were analyzed as a repeated measures design using the MIXED procedure of SAS. Egg production, weight, and shell quality measurements were not significantly different between the 2 systems. On a DM basis, EC hens exhibited lower feed disappearance than CC hens (92.5 vs. 95.0 ± 0.61 g/hen per day, respectively; P < 0.01), and lower Ca and P excretions in manure compared with CC hens (Ca: 2.11 vs. 2.29 ± 0.04 g/hen per day, respectively; P: 0.619 vs. 0.643 ± 0.005 g/hen per day, respectively; P < 0.01). Even though eggs from EC compared with CC had lower Ca deposition (2.07 vs. 2.13 ± 0.01 g/hen per day, respectively; P < 0.0001) and output (38.3 vs. 38.8 ± 0.15 mg/g of egg, respectively; P < 0.05), both EC and CC systems exhibited similar Ca outputs in eggs when expressed as a proportion of Ca intake (56.5 vs. 56.6 ± 0.51% Ca intake, respectively). The overall mean P retention between EC and CC hens was not significantly different (-7.22 vs. -7.45 ± 0.71% P intake, respectively), but Ca retention was higher in EC than CC hens (-1.37 vs. -4.76 ± 0.89% Ca intake, respectively; P < 0.05). In addition to providing environmental enrichment, EC systems may help to reduce Ca and P excretions when compared with CC systems, thereby improving the utilization of these nutrients.

Impact of different housing systems and age of layers on egg quality characteristics

“…However, Samiullah et al (3) found that egg weight was higher in the CC system for the whole laying period, but in the FR system egg weight increased at the beginning of the laying period and then remained constant. Zemkova et al (12) observed that egg weight in the outdoor system hens decreased until 59 weeks of age and then increased, but Neijat et al (29) found that shell thickness, shell ratio, yolk weight, albumen weight, and shell weight of laying hens in enriched-cage and conventional-cage systems were not different, and there was a cage × period interaction for eggshell weight and it was significantly higher in the enriched-cage than in the conventional-cage system in the late production period.…”

Eggshell structure, measurements, and quality-affecting factors in laying hens: a review

“…These contrast results are presumably related to Ca metabolism, because the most commonly used indicators of Ca metabolism in layers are shell quality assessment parameters (Gordon and Roland 1998). Neijat et al (2011) indicated that enriched cages may provide better means of utilizing Ca and P than conventional cages. These results might be affected by higher feed consumption in enriched cages.…”

Prolonged Dark Time Within A 24-h Light Regime Improves Eggshell Quality by Enhancing Calcium Deposition in Laying Hens

“…Except of the shell thickness, the calcium content in eggshell also contributes to eggshell hardness. Although the eggshell thickness is not necessary to correlate with its calcium content [48], the calcium concentration in eggshell decreases with age in laying hens [49]. In the present study, the calcium and phosphorus concentrations were all increased in the eggs from LDP-hens, suggesting that the improved eggshell strength is associated with the elevated Ca and P contents in the eggshell.…”