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A comparative study between two local strains under cage and floor housing systems
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Abstract: Two hundreds and fifty six females 20 weeks old from each of Silver Montazah (SM) and Matrouh (MA T) strains were randomly chosen and equally housed in individual cages or in floor pens (with four equal replicates 32 hens each) to compare their productive and physiological performance at the first 90 days of production under two housing systems (cages and floors).
The main results were as follows: SM hens had significantly higher body weight (at sexual maturity and at the end of 90 days of production), egg number, egg mass, rate of laying and feed consumption than MAT hens, while there were no significant differences between both strains in age at sexual maturity, egg weight and feed conversion. At 36 wks of age MAT strain eggs had significantly higher shape index and shell thickness than SM eggs, while there were no significant differences in shell, albumen and yolk percentages as well as haugh units. SM strain had recorded a significant increase in plasma concentrations of calcium, cholesterol, total proteins (at 36 wks, triiodothyronine (T3) and progesterone (P 4 ) hormones (at sexual maturity), while MAT strain had recorded a significant increase in blood hemoglobin content at sexual maturity. Plasma inorganic phosphorus levels were not significantly differed between both strains. SM strain had significantly higher ovary, oviduct and abdominal fat relative weights than MAT hens at 36 wks of age.
Regarding the housing system, cages hens had significantly higher body weight at sexual maturity, while age at sexual maturity, final body weight, egg number, egg weight ,egg mass, rate of laying, feed consumption and feed conversion at 90 days of production did not significantly affect by housing system. At 36 wks of age the eggs of hens reared on floor had significantly thicker shell and increase in albumen percentage. The was a significant increase in plasma concentrations of calcium and blood hemoglobin (at sexual maturity), total proteins at 36 wks in floor hens, while plasma cholesterol level was significantly increased in cages hens at both ages. The levels of plasma inorganic phosphorus, T 3 and P 4 were not significantly altered due to housing system. Abdominal fat was significantly increased, while ovary and oviduct percentages were significantly decreased in cages hens than floor ones.
Regarding the interaction between strain and housing system, SM hens had recorded the least age at sexual maturity with the highest values for egg number, egg mass, rate of laying and body weight comparing to MAT hens under both housing system. SM and MAT floor eggs had significantly higher shell thickness and albumen percent when comparing to cages eggs at 36 wks. SM and MAT floor hens had significantly lower plasma cholesterol and abdominal fat than cages ones at 36 wks of age.
From the previous results it could be concluded that SM hens had superiority values for body weight, egg number, egg mass and rate of lay under the two housing systems. As for these advantages it could be recommended to use this strain" SM "for rearing in small cage units in the houses of the small holders in the Egyptian village.
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| Publication year |
2009
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| Pages |
439-464
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| Availability location |
معهد بحوث الانتاج الحيوانى- شارع نادى الصيد- الدقى - الجيزة
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| Availability number |
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| Organization Name |
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| City |
الاسكندرية
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| serial title |
Egyptian Poulty Science
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| ISSN |
1110-5623
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| Author(s) from ARC |
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| Agris Categories |
Animal physiology - Nutrition
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AGROVOC
TERMS |
Body weight.
Cages.
Floor husbandry.
Layer chickens.
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| Proposed Agrovoc |
egg number;egg mass;
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| Publication Type |
Journal
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