The Effect of Housing Environment on Physical Egg Quality of White Egg Layers

Currently, the egg industry is experiencing a shift in demand for eggs from cage-free environments. This study aims to evaluate the egg quality parameters of white eggs laid in several different housing environments utilized in the industry. Egg quality parameters from battery cages, barren colony cages, enriched colony cages and cage-free pens were compared. Overall, most egg quality parameters were found to be different across housing environments. Battery cages produced the heaviest eggs and eggs with the highest Haugh unit (p p p > 0.05). Moreover, this study did not detect any differences in egg quality parameters between enriched and barren colony cages (p > 0.05). It appears that white egg-laying hens had superior egg quality performance in caged environments and that cage-free pens only improved yolk color. Furthermore, it appears that simply adding enrichments to cages does not affect any egg quality parameters. From the results of our study, we believe that current intensive environments, such as cages, are the most beneficial for white egg layer egg quality and that as the industry moves toward cage-free, new strategies will need to be developed to preserve egg quality. More research is needed, particularly evaluating free-range environments

Evaluation of Physical Egg Quality Parameters of Commercial Brown Laying Hens Housed in Five Production Systems

This study evaluates the effect of housing environment on the egg quality characteristics of brown egg layers as many different environments are currently used in the industry. Battery cages, barren colony cages, enriched colony cages, cage-free, and free-range environments were evaluated. Overall, all egg quality measurements were affected by housing environment (p p p p p p < 0.01). Access to the range seemed to give free-range hens different nutritional advantages, which allowed for the darker yolks and shells. Furthermore, eggs from barren colony cages seemed to exhibit more negative characteristics. Simply adding enrichments to colony cages did not improve or detract from egg quality. From this research, it appears that, as the industry moves toward extensive environments, the egg quality of brown egg layers will improve

The Effect of Housing Environment on Commercial Brown Egg Layer Production, USDA Grade and USDA Size Distribution

Consumer demand for retail cage-free eggs is driving the layer industry towards greater use of extensive housing environments. However, there is limited research on how these environments affect egg production characteristics of brown egg layers, as was the focus of this study. Five housing environments were evaluated under typical industry conditions, including conventional cages, enrichable colony cages, enriched colony cages, cage-free and free-range. Three different brown egg laying strains were housed in the different housing environments and managed according to standard husbandry practices and stocking densities. Data collection for the strains began at 17 weeks of age, with a base period of 28 days for feed weigh backs and egg quality assessments. Housing environment had a highly significant (p < 0.0001) effect on all egg production characteristics measured, including egg production rates (% hen-day and % hen-housed), feed consumption (g/bird/day), feed conversion (egg g/feed g), and mortality rate (%) as well as percent grade A, B, and loss. Previous research revealed better egg production metrics for white egg layers in caged environments than extensive environments. In contrast, we observed brown egg layers had optimum production results for the free-range housing environments, and the poorest performance in enrichable colony cages

The Effect of Housing Environment on Egg Production, USDA Egg Size, and USDA Grade Distribution of Commercial White Egg Layers

The housing environment has become a critical issue for consumers of eggs and egg products. Therefore, it is imperative to understand how various housing environments can affect the modern laying hen. In this study, alongside the 40th NC layer performance test, four different housing environments were chosen based on industry prevalence, which include conventional cages, barren, enrichable colony cages, enriched colony cages, and cage-free environments. Hens in these environments were raised following standard feeding and lighting practices. This study found that conventional cage and enriched colony cage hens had the highest egg production level, while hens from the barren colony cages had the lowest production level. Feed efficiency followed a similar trend, where conventional cage and cage-free hens had the best feed efficiency, followed by enriched colony cage and barren colony cage hens. This study also found that conventional cage hens had the largest eggs, while cage-free hens had the smallest eggs. Cage-free and conventional cage hens had the lowest mortality rate, while hens in the barren colony cage had the highest mortality rate. From the data shown, it appears that standard, conventional cages provide white egg layers with the most optimal environment for production performance. However, a further evaluation of health and stress is needed to determine which environment provides the hen with optimal welfare

Determination of the Optimal Dietary Amino Acid Ratio Based on Egg Quality for Japanese Quail Breeder

The objective of this study was to determine the ideal amino acid ratio for Japanese quail based on egg quality. In total, 120 Japanese quail were used. A completely randomized design was used with 12 treatments and 10 replicates per treatment. The treatments consisted of a balanced protein (BP) and the subsequent 11 diets were obtained by the 40% deletion of the BP a specific test for Lys, Met + Cys, Thr, Trp, Arg, Gly + Ser, Val, Ile, Leu, His, and Phr + Tyr. The trial lasted for 25 days. At the end of the trial, egg weight (EW), albumen height, albumen diameter, albumen index, yolk height, yolk diameter, yolk index, Haugh unit, eggshell weight (ESW), and eggshell percentage were measured. The ideal ratio was calculated when a statistical difference was detected using Dunnett’s test. Only the EW and ESW variables differed from those of BP. The ideal amino acid ratios considering Lys as 100 for EW and ESW were Met + Cys 82 and 83, Thr 60 and 68, Trp 18 and 21, Arg 109 and 112, Gly + Ser 99 and 102, Val 77 and 87, Ile 61 and 67, Leu 155 and 141, His 34 and 37, Phe + Try 134 and 133, respectively

Impact of Stocking Densities on the Microbiota of the Cloaca, Eggshell, and Egg Content of White Egg Layers in Colony Cages

Food safety is a major concern for commercial poultry producers and consumers. Currently, there is also pressure from retailers and legislators to increase the space per hen in cages. Five different density treatments consisting of six (208 in2/bird), nine (139 in2/bird), twelve (104 in2/bird), fifteen (83 in2/bird), and eighteen birds (69 in2/bird) per cage were examined in colony cage environments. Microbiological tests were performed at 39, 55, and 68 weeks of age. The populations of total aerobic bacteria; E. coli/coliform; Enterobacteriaceae; and yeasts and molds from an eggshell rinse, egg content, and cloacal swabs were enumerated. The prevalence of Salmonella spp. in these samples was also monitored. Overall, no bacteria were detected in any of the egg content, and there were no differences (p > 0.05) between treatments for the shell rinse. Stocking density did not influence the eggshell microbiota of the hens. Hens housed at 104 in2 per hen showed higher levels of total aerobic bacterial counts from the cloaca compared to hens at 208 in2 and 69 in2 per hen. Hens housed at 139 in2 per hen had the highest level of cloacal molds. This research demonstrates that stocking density does not influence eggshell microbiota or Salmonella contamination of the eggshell or cloaca, thereby indicating that allowing more space per hen will not positively or negatively affect the prevalence or concentration of foodborne pathogen-associated bacteria in or on the eggs

Broiler breeder trace mineral nutrition and feeding practices on embryo progeny development

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of breeder feeding programme, feeder space change from rearing to lay, and trace mineral (TM) source on the development of embryo progeny. Cobb 500 broiler breeders were raised in a blackout pullet house. At 23 weeks, females that represented the body weight (BW) distribution from each pen were transferred to a laying house divided into pens with either same or more feeder space than in rearing. From 14 to 29 weeks, either a late fast or a late slow FP was used. Breeders were fed corn based diets during rearing and lay and from 56 to 62 weeks of age, these diets contained either 100% inorganic TM or an organic TM source to replace 30% of Cu, Zn, and Mn. Embryo BW, residual yolk, and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) development from 19 to 21 days of incubation were evaluated in 62-weeks-old breeder offspring. Allometric coefficients were determined for each GIT component. All possible interactions of this 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design were evaluated at each embryo age. Results indicated treatment effects on relative weights of GIT organs for only two-way and main effects. Allometric coefficients suggested that progeny of breeders fed diets with 100% inorganic TM or according to late fast (LF) had faster development of gizzard+proventriculus and gut, respectively. In breeder feeding practices and TM nutrition may affect GIT development of embryo progeny.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES