Poult. Sci.
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Vits, A
Right arrow Articles by Distl, O
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Vits, A
Right arrow Articles by Distl, O
Poultry Science, Vol 84, Issue 10, 1511-1519
Copyright © 2005 by Poultry Science Association

Articles

Production, egg quality, bone strength, claw length, and keel bone deformities of laying hens housed in furnished cages with different group sizes

A Vits, D Weitzenburger, H Hamann, and O Distl

Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bunteweg, Hannover, Germany.

The effects of 3 different furnished cage systems (Aviplus, Eurovent 625a, Eurovent 625A) on 2 different laying hen strains [Lohmann Selected Leghorn (LSL), Lohmann Brown (LB)] were examined for the traits of production, egg quality, bone strength, claw length, and keel bone status. Two trials were carried out in which all hens received identical feeding and management. In brown hens, the traits egg production per average hen housed, cracked eggs, feed conversion, egg weight, and humerus breaking strength were significantly higher than in white hens. Furthermore, the claws of the brown hens were shorter than those of white hens. There were more dirty eggs, higher shell density, and fewer keel bone deformities in white hens than in brown hens. In the Aviplus system, egg production per average hen housed was higher than in the other systems, whereas shell thickness and density were lower. Humerus strength was also higher in the Aviplus than in the Eurovent 625a system, whereas there was no significant difference in tibia strength among the 3 systems. The shortest claws were found in the Aviplus system, and the fewest keel bone deformities occurred in the Eurovent 625a system. The study showed that the high standards of conventional cages for production and egg quality were met in furnished cages and that bone strength was significantly greater than in conventional cages. Claw shortening devices in furnished cages seemed satisfactory, because claws were generally short. However, the occurrence of keel bone deformities due to the intensive use of perches seemed to be a problem of furnished cages.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Poult. Sci.Home page
K. Pohle and H.-W. Cheng
Comparative effects of furnished and battery cages on egg production and physiological parameters in White Leghorn hens
Poult. Sci., October 1, 2009; 88(10): 2042 - 2051.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Poult. Sci.Home page
M. J. Jendral, D. R. Korver, J. S. Church, and J. J. R. Feddes
Bone Mineral Density and Breaking Strength of White Leghorns Housed in Conventional, Modified, and Commercially Available Colony Battery Cages
Poult. Sci., May 1, 2008; 87(5): 828 - 837.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Appl. Poult. Res.Home page
H. Wall, R. Tauson, and S. Sorgjerd
Bacterial Contamination of Eggshells in Furnished and Conventional Cages
J. Appl. Poult. Res., January 1, 2008; 17(1): 11 - 16.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Appl. Poult. Res.Home page
H. Wall and R. Tauson
Perch Arrangements in Small-Group Furnished Cages for Laying Hens
J. Appl. Poult. Res., January 1, 2007; 16(3): 322 - 330.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2005 by the Poultry Science Association.