Short communication: egg size and quality of hens housed in three different group sizes

The aim of this study was to analyse the performance and the quality of the eggs produced by hens housed in three group sizes (20, 26 and 60 individuals). Twenty-two lots of high-production Hy-Line hens in the Murcia region (Spain) were included in this study. The total area of the cages was, respec...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Applied Animal Research 2022-12, Vol.50 (1), p.598-602
Main Authors: Soler Castillo, Ramiro, Mínguez Balaguer, Carlos, Ibáñez Sanchis, Carla, Bueso Ródenas, Joel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cage hens
cage size
Economics
egg weight
Eggs
Farms
Group size
laying percentage
Population density
shell quality
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Summary:The aim of this study was to analyse the performance and the quality of the eggs produced by hens housed in three group sizes (20, 26 and 60 individuals). Twenty-two lots of high-production Hy-Line hens in the Murcia region (Spain) were included in this study. The total area of the cages was, respectively, 1.5, 2.0 and 4.5 m 2 , maintaining the same population density (750 cm 2 per animal). The influence of the productive phases of the laying cycle was also included in the study: Initial (18-26 weeks of life), Middle (27-52 weeks) and Final (53-74 weeks). The variables examined were: laying percentage, egg weight, percentage of removed eggs (broken, cracked or dirty), mortality and feed intake. The group size had an influence on the egg weight and shell quality. In this sense, a group size of 20 hens achieved higher egg weight and lower number of broken and cracked eggs, so it is proposed as the recommended group size to optimize the profitability of cage hen farms.
ISSN:0971-2119
0974-1844
DOI:10.1080/09712119.2022.2119981