Impact of commercial housing systems and nutrient and energy intake on laying hen performance and egg quality parameters

Abstract

The US egg industry is exploring alternative housing systems for laying hens. However, limited published research related to cage-free aviary systems and enriched colony cages exists related to production, egg quality, and hen nutrition. The laying hen's nutritional requirements and resulting productivity are well established with the conventional cage system, but diminutive research is available in regards to alternative housing systems. The restrictions exist with limited availability of alternative housing systems in research settings and the considerable expense for increased bird numbers in a replicate due to alternative housing system design. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to evaluate the impact of nutrient and energy intake on production and egg quality parameters from laying hens housed at a commercial facility. Lohmann LSL laying hens were housed in three systems: enriched colony cage, cage-free aviary, and conventional cage at a single commercial facility. Daily production records were collected along with dietary changes during 15 production periods (28-d each). Eggs were analyzed for shell strength, shell thickness, Haugh unit, vitelline membrane properties, and egg solids each period. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) coupled with a principal components analysis (PCA) approach was utilized to assess the impact of nutritional changes on production parameters and monitored egg quality factors. The traits of hen-day production and mortality had a response only in the PCA 2 direction. This finds that as house temperature and Met intake increases, there is an inflection point at which hen-day egg production is negatively effected. Dietary changes more directly influenced shell parameters, vitelline membrane parameters, and egg total solids as opposed to laying hen housing system. Therefore, further research needs to be conducted in controlled research settings on laying hen nutrient and energy intake in the alternative housing systems and resulting impact on egg quality measures.

Impact of light-emitting diode and compact fluorescent light source type and cage tier on layers reared in an enriched cage system Part 1: Production performance and egg quality

“…In the present study, the mortality rate was found to be similar in different cage tiers (P > 0.05) which was lower compared to other studies [24]. There are several others reporting lower mortality rates in furnished cages when compared to the conventional cage systems [27,28] and in noncage systems [29,30].…”

Influence of commercial laying hen housing systems on the incidence and identification of Salmonella and Campylobacter

“…An extensive collaborative comparison of commercial conventional cage, enriched colony cage, and cage-free aviary hen housing systems has been conducted by a team of researchers in the US. Five sustainability areas were investigated: hen health and well-being, environmental impact, food safety and quality, food affordability, and worker health and safety (Jones et al., 2014 , 2015 ; Arteaga et al., 2015 ; Karcher et al., 2015 ; Matthews and Sumner, 2015 ; Mitchell et al., 2015 ; Regmi et al, 2015 ; Shepherd et al., 2015 ; Zhao et al., 2015a , 2015b ; Blatchford et al, 2016 ; Campbell et al, 2016a , 2016b ). The multi-year, multi-flock study has produced a large repository of information intended for egg industries, regulatory groups, and consumers to make informed decisions about commercially available hen housing systems.…”

Reproductive management of poultry

“…Much lower (w40%) mortalities were reported in hens in conventional caging compared to an aviary system. 110 Moreover, there was a greater incidence of keel deformities in hens in a cage free system compared to those in conventional cages. 111 There are also differences in leg bone characteristics with hens under the cage free conditions having increased cortical cross-sectional area and cortical density of their humerus and tibia compared to those maintained in conventional cages.…”

“…114 In another study, egg production was greater in hens with an enriched environment compared to conventional caging. 110…”