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 …
This study was performed with pullets to evaluate the effects of dietary yeast extract on bird performances and feather pecking. A total of 2400, 10-weeks-old pullets were divided into 8 groups: C, R,L and LR are control, feed restriction (from 09h00 to 15h00), litter removal (from 12 to 17 weeks of age) and both feed …
Recent studies in laying hens have shown that feather peckers eat more feathers than nonpeckers.We hypothesized that food pellets containing feathers would decrease the birds’ appetite for feathers and thereby also decrease feather pecking. To separate the effect of feathers from that of insoluble fiber per se, additional control groups were fed pellets containing similar …
Environment, Well – Being and Behaviour
Four genetic stocks of Leghorn pullets were used to evaluate the effects of genetic selection on growth and fearfulness behavior. Three of the stocks were the Ottawa random bred control stocks from 1950 (CS5), 1959 (CS7), and 1972 (CS10). The fourth stockwas a 1993 commercial laying stock (CCS) whose ancestors were involved in the formation …
As people become more aware of the environmental footprint of different foods, consumers may modify their diets to reduce the …
Enzymes are widely used in feed to improve utilization of nutrients and it is generally acknowledged that phytases, by improving …
The objectives of the study were to evaluate the effectiveness of a reduced-emission (RE) diet containing 6.9% of a CaSO4-zeolite …
Genetic parameters were estimated for egg defects, egg production, and egg quality traits. Eggs from 11,738 pure bred brown-egg laying hens were classified as salable or as having one of the following defects: bloody, broken, calcium deposit, dirty, doubleyolk, misshapen, pee-wee, shell-less, and soft shelled.Egg quality included albumen height, egg weight, yolkweight, and puncture score. …
Chemical residues may be present in eggs from laying hens’ exposure to drugs or contaminants. These residues may pose risks …
There is a desire by US consumers for eggs produced by hens in alternative production systems. Asthe retail shell-egg market …