Performance of Broilers Reared on Rubber and Plastic Mats in a Cage System and on Litter in a Floor System

L.D. ANDREWS

doi:10.3382/ps.0571493

Results of egg production in different housing systems

Biotechnology in Animal Husbandry ◽

10.2298/bah0701497p ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 23 (5-6-1) ◽

pp. 497-502 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

L. Peric ◽

N. Milosevic ◽

N. Tolimir ◽

D. Zikic

Keyword(s):

Egg Production ◽

Housing System ◽

Housing Density ◽

Egg Weight ◽

Percentage Mortality ◽

Housing Systems ◽

Production Parameters ◽

Cage System ◽

Main Production ◽

Floor System

The aim of this work was to present the production results of laying hens kept in different housing systems - conventional cages with different stocking densities, enriched cages or in houses with a range. The used hybrid was Shaver 579 (564 birds). The main production parameters were monitored: No. of laid eggs, laying percentage, mortality rate, feed intake, egg weight and number of culled eggs. Data were analyzed by ANOVA followed by t-test. Main production parameters in production of table eggs were significantly different depending on the housing system. The best results were realized in cage system with lower housing density, and the worst results in hens housed in floor system on free range.

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Competitiveness of table eggs from non-cage housing systems

Biotechnology in Animal Husbandry ◽

10.2298/bah1002117r ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 26 (1-2) ◽

pp. 117-128 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

V. Rodic ◽

L. Peric ◽

Z. Pavlovski ◽

N. Milosevic

Keyword(s):

Production System ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Organic Production ◽

Production Costs ◽

Business Decision ◽

Free Range ◽

Housing Systems ◽

Cage System ◽

Premium Price ◽

Floor System

Experiences of developed countries show that production costs in non-cage housing systems for layer hens are from 8 to 59%, and in organic production over 200% higher compared to production costs in the conventional cage system. Consequently, eggs deriving from non-cage systems can be competitive only provided that the consumers are willing to pay adequately higher price for eggs produced in said way. In this paper, 720 consumers were interviewed with aim to determine to what extent they are prepared to pay higher price for eggs deriving from non-cage systems. Obtained results show that over ? of consumers were willing to pay higher price for such eggs. This, however, was limited in majority of consumers (53%) to increase of price by up to 20%. This is enough to cover increased costs of production in the floor system, but not in case of free range system and organic production. Taking into consideration the fact that in EU, from year 2012, serious egg deficit can be expected due to the ban of housing of layers in battery cages, and that this deficit will probably be covered by supply from surrounding countries, it can be concluded that for certain number of producers transition to non-cage housing systems can be good business decision. For most of them, however, transition to so called enriched cages poses less risk, and in this production system they can expect premium price for egg with increase of production costs not exceeding 15%.

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Comparison of broiler breeder production and fertility in a colony cage system with two different floors versus a slat-floor system

10.33915/etd.703 ◽

2002 ◽

Author(s):

Joseph Wayne Massey

Keyword(s):

Broiler Breeder ◽

Cage System ◽

Floor System ◽

Slat Floor

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Effect of Different Levels of Vitamin Premix Reduction or Removal During Finisher Period on Immunocompetence of Broiler Chickens

Annals of Animal Science ◽

10.2478/v10220-012-0018-2 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 217-225

Author(s):

Majid Alahyari-Shahrasb ◽

Hoseein Moravej ◽

Mona Bagherirad ◽

Mahmood Shivazad ◽

Sheila Hadini

Keyword(s):

Red Blood Cells ◽

Soybean Meal ◽

Blood Cells ◽

Broiler Chickens ◽

Antibody Responses ◽

Dietary Vitamin ◽

Cage System ◽

Floor System ◽

Different Levels ◽

Finisher Diets

Effect of Different Levels of Vitamin Premix Reduction or Removal During Finisher Period on Immunocompetence of Broiler ChickensThree experiments were conducted to compare the effect of a decreasing vitamin premix amount in diets from 29 to 42 days of age on performance and immunocompetence of broiler chickens in floor (experiments 1 and 2) and battery cage (experiment 3) systems. The diets were based on corn/soybean meal (experiment 1) and wheat/barley (experiments 2 and 3). On day 34, two birds from each replicate were selected and antibody responses to inoculated sheep red blood cells were determined. The results of experiments 1 and 2 showed that vitamin premix reduction/withdrawal at 29 days of age did not impair performance during the final rearing period. However, the results of experiment 3 showed that from 29 to 42 days of age, performance of birds fed the diet without vitamin premix (T1) was significantly lower than other treatments. The results of three experiments demonstrated that immunocompetence response was not affected by treatments in the finisher period. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicated that in the battery cage system it is possible to reduce dietary vitamin premix during the finisher period but withdrawal can negatively affect performance of broilers. While in the floor system it is possible to withdraw vitamin supplements from finisher diets.

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