Concerns regarding the welfare of laying hens have led to the ban of conventional battery cages in Europe from 2012 …
Trans-shell infection routes and whole egg contamination of 7 selected bacterial strains; Staphylococcus warneri, Acinetobacter baumannii,Alcaligenes sp., Serratia marcescens, Carnobacterium …
A 6-week study was conducted to investigate the effects of phytase and hydro alcoholic extract of Withania somnifera root (WS) …
A trial was conducted to study the influence of CP and fat content of the diet on performance and egg …
In organic egg production, forage material as part of the diet for laying hens is mandatory. The purpose of the …
A total of 72 H&N Brown Nick laying hens, 76 weeks of age (moulted at 60 weeks of age), were …
Step-Up Protein (SUP) rearing regimens can reduce Feed Consumption (FC) and Body Weight(BW), while still resulting in pullets with equal …
Moulting is a complex process, induced by diet manipulation, which results in renewal of reproductive system and subsequent better production. Conventionally, moulting has been practised by utilising feed withdrawal in many developing countries, however, this has been associated with many drawbacks. Alternative types of moulting practices have been studied, however, these are not practised widely …
Commercial laying hens are commonly housed in noisy and dim environments, yet relatively little is known about whether these conditions, particularly in combination, have any effect on welfare or egg production.2. The study was designed to investigate whether chronic exposure to continuous noise (60 dB(A) vs.80 dB(A)) and/or light intensity (150 lux vs. 5 lux) …
Egg-laying strains of chickens are highly susceptible to osteoporosis, a non infectious disease characterized by a decrease in structural bone as hensage. To minimize the onset of osteoporosis, it was hypothesized that a delay in sexual maturity may allow a pullet to develop a stronger skeletal frame before egglaying, leading to improved skeletal mineralization atend …
The aim of this trial was to determinethe effect of aerial perches on keel bone injuries andtibia bone characteristics in free-range laying hens. The relationship between keel bone injuries and individual bird parameters, such as weight, girth, wing:girth ratio,feather coverage, and tibia bone characteristics, was also assessed. Five commercial free-range houses, each containing between 7,000 …
Gregarious nesting can be defined as a behaviour that occurs when a laying hen (Gallus gallus domesticus) given the choice …
The relationship between immune function and disease risk may be greatly influenced by an organism’s response to chronic stressors including …
This study investigates the influence of litter provision and linings used for nests and pecking and scratching areas on cage …
Within the last 10 yr, the US egg industry has grown significantly in the use of alternative systems of cage-free …
Hen performance can be affected by many interacting variables related to cage design, such as floor area, height, tier arrangement, and feeder and drinker type and placement within the cage. Likewise, features of house design such as waste management and lighting can also affect hen productivity. The influence of these design aspects on hen performance …