Time study examining the effect of range,cage-free,and cage environments on man-hours committed to bird care in 3 brown egg layer strains

Growing consumer awareness concerning layer hen welfare has caused the egg industry to consider alternative environments for egg-laying hens. However, the time commitment for alternative care has not been researched in detail since the 1950s. In 2 experiments, we evaluated the man-hour commitment associated with 3 different environments, including range (R), cage-free (CF), and cage systems (C). Concurrently within the R and CF systems, 3 strains of birds, Hy-Line Silver Brown, Hy-Line Brown, and Barred Plymouth Rock, were examined to see if strain differences were associated with man-hours associated for care. All birds were raised within the environment they were going to be laying in at 17 wk of age, the time data collection started. The system study was a 3-factor randomized design that commenced at 17 wk, when the laying phase commenced with 8 R replicates, 24 CF replicates, and 4 C replicates. The strain study consisted of R and CF systems and 3 strains of Hy-Line Brown, Hy-Line Silver Brown, and Barred Plymouth Rock. All husbandry was provided as appropriate to the production system and in accordance with the approved animal care procedures. Time was recorded for all of the procedures done within the replicates (i.e., egg collection, feeding, and so on). The data were transformed first by man-hours per bird housed and second by man-hours per bird surviving. All time data were analyzed using PROC GLM in SAS. Man-hours per hen decreased from 17 to 37 wk in all production systems. The production environment C required only 0.334 h/hen housed, which is lower as compared with either the CF at 0.486 h/hen housed or R at 1.268 h/hen housed. Strain alone did not influence man-hours; however, the strain with the poorest livability had the greatest man-hour requirement for hens surviving. This study substantiates previous findings that moving from intensive to extensive production systems will increase man-hours per hen by 3 or 4 times.     

加丽素红对海兰蛋鸡生长及产蛋性能的影响

试验探讨加丽素红对海兰蛋鸡生长及产蛋性能的影响,为加丽素红在畜牧养殖业中的合理使用提供依据。试验采用随机分组的方法,设立一个对照组、两个剂量组(分别添加80和8 000 mg/kg加丽素红)。每组海兰蛋鸡36只,分别饲喂基础饲料和添加不同剂量加丽素红的饲料。结果表明,通过对鸡的体重、平均日增重、平均日采食量、料重比等生长性能指标的统计分析,加丽素红对上述指标无显著影响;通过对开产蛋重、产蛋率、平均蛋重等产蛋性能的统计分析,加丽素红对上述指标无显著影响;但加丽素红可以使蛋鸡的开产日龄提前。     

Phenotypic characteristics of upright and pendulous comb among chicken breeds and association with growth rate and egg production

Upright and pendulous combs commonly exist in most single‐comb chicken breeds. Here, the phenotypic characteristics of upright and pendulous combs in chickens and association with growth rate and egg production were analyzed. Phenotypic frequencies of upright and pendulous comb were investigated in five chicken breeds; the phenotypic frequencies of complete pendulous comb (CPC) and partial pendulous comb (PPC) ranged from 10.1% to 29.0% and 21.8% to 65.3%, respectively. CPC hens produced more eggs than PPC hens (P < 0.05) in Nongda‐3, Huainan and Wenchang breeds. In Huainan breed, CPC males were heavier than PPC males at 12 and 16 weeks of age, while CPC females were heavier at 24 weeks of age. PPC and CPC chickens have greater (P < 0.05) comb length, comb height and comb index than upright comb (UC) chickens. There was no significant difference in comb phenotypic frequency distribution between the offspring from UC(♂) × CPC(♀) and CPC(♂) × UC(♀); however, it differed (χ² = 45.12, P < 0.01) between offspring from UC(♂) × UC(♀) and CPC(♂) × CPC(♀). These results suggested that the comb phenotype does not appear to be Z‐linked; the effective loci influencing the trait could be estimated in a further study.     

Rare earth element‐enriched yeast improved egg production and egg quality in laying hens in the late period of peak egg production

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of rare earth element‐enriched yeast (RY) on egg production, coefficient of total tract apparent digestibility (CTTAD), egg quality, excreta gas emission and excreta microbiota of laying hens. A total of 216 ISA brown laying hens of 52 weeks of age were used in a 5‐week feeding trial and data were collected every week. Birds were randomly allotted to three dietary treatments each with six replicates and 12 hens per replicate. Each cage (38 cm width × 50 cm length × 40 cm height) contained one hen. Treatments consisted of corn–soya bean meal‐based diet supplemented with 0, 500 or 1000 mg/kg of RY. From weeks 55 to 56, inclusion of RY linearly increased (p < 0.05) egg production. The CTTAD of nitrogen was increased (linear, p < 0.05) with increasing dietary level of RY. In week 55, yolk height and Haugh units were increased linearly (p < 0.05) with increasing dietary RY content. However, no significant effects were observed in terms of excreta emissions and excreta microbiota in laying hens. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with RY improved egg production and CTTAD of nitrogen and slightly improved egg quality in laying hens of the late period of peak egg production.     

Polymorphisms in GnRHI and GnRHII genes and their association with egg production and egg quality traits in chicken

1. Two candidate genes, namely, Gonadotropin releasing hormone I (GnRHI) and Gonadotropin releasing hormone II (GnRHII) play pivotal roles in ovulation and egg production in chicken. The objective of this study was to explore polymorphism in these genes and to estimate the effects of polymorphism of these two genes on egg production and egg quality traits in White Leghorn laying hens.

2. Single strand conformation polymorphism followed by sequencing was performed to detect polymorphism in these genes.

3. The coding regions of the GnRHI and GnRHII genes were found to be polymorphic. In the GnRH1 gene, 12 haplotypes were determined, of which the h1 haplotype was predominant and the h5, h9 and h11 haplotypes were the least frequent ones. In the GnRHII gene, eight haplotypes were found, of which the h1 haplotype was the most frequent and the h6 was the least frequent haplotype in the White Leghorn population.

4. The haplogroups of GnRHI had a significant effect on body weight and egg production up to 64 weeks of age, yolk content, Haugh units and egg shell parameters. The h1h2 haplogroup of the GnRHI gene showed the highest egg production, with 211.0 ± 24.3 eggs up to 64 weeks of age, while the highest yolk content and Haugh unit was found in h3h10 haplogrouped birds. The haplogroups of GnRHII had a significant effect on age at sexual maturity (ASM) where the shortest ASM was found in the h1h4 birds (147.3 ± 5.9 d) and the longest ASM was observed in the h1h3 birds (160.6 ± 23.4 d).

5. It was concluded that GnRHI and GnRHII genes are polymorphic and have a significant effect on body weight, egg production and egg quality traits in White Leghorn laying hens.     

Effects of Antimicrobial peptides on egg production,egg quality and caecal microbiota of hens during the late laying period

This study was conducted to determine the effects of diet supplementation of laying hens with antimicrobial peptides (AMP) on egg production, egg quality and caecal microbiota. A total of 360 Hy‐Line Brown laying hens (72 weeks old) were divided into three groups with four replicates of 30 birds each. The laying hens were fed with the basal diet (Control), the basal diet + 50 mg/kg AMP (group 1) and the basal diet + 100 mg/kg AMP (group 2). The experiment lasted for 45 d. Eggs were collected daily and caecal samples were collected at the end of the experiment. The results showed that AMP supplementation caused a significantly increased laying rate and decreased feed/egg ratio (p ＜ .05). Meanwhile, a distinctive difference in cecal microbiota was observed between AMP and control groups and the average values of microbial diversity and richness were lower in the AMP group than in the control group. At the phylum level, the relative abundance of Verrucomicrobia and Cyanobacteria were lower in the AMP group than in the control group. In conclusion, the results indicated that dietary supplementation with AMP can improve egg production and affect the cecal microbial community membership and structure of hens during late laying period.     

蛋氨酸对开产蛋鸡生产性能及蛋品质的影响

以19周龄开产海兰褐蛋鸡为试验动物,采用饲养、屠宰试验和蛋品质分析测定等方法,研究蛋氨酸对开产蛋鸡生产性能及蛋品质的影响。结果表明:除添加0.4%组部分指标劣于对照组外,各试验组蛋品质均有不同程度提高,且以添加0.2%蛋氨酸水平组影响最显著,较对照组日均产蛋率、蛋壳厚度、蛋黄指数分别提高5.94%、9.0%、9.84%(P<0.05),料蛋比和蛋黄中胆固醇含量降低8.29%和1.67%(P<0.05)。     

Growth performance of fast-growing broilers reared under different types of production systems with outdoor access: Implications for organic and alternative production systems

Outdoor access is an important part of organic and free-range poultry production, yet limited information exists on the effect of various housing and production systems on growth performance and colonization of food-borne pathogens. Therefore, the primary purpose of the current study was to evaluate the influence of different housing systems, particularly fixed versus small, portable houses, with and without outdoor access to pasture, on seasonal growth performance, leg quality, and presence of bacterial food-borne pathogens. In the current study, we used fast-growing broilers, as many small producers use commercial broilers due to their carcass conformation and high breast yield compared with slow-growing hybrids or standard heritage breeds. Although interest in alternative genetics exists because they may be more adapted to outdoor production, they require longer growing periods, with accompanying labor and cost. A pasture containing a mixture of forages was used to simulate the conditions common for small farms in the local region. The experiment had 4 treatment groups: (1) small, portable hoop houses with access to pasture, (2) small, portable hoop houses without access to pasture, (3) a fixed house with access to the outdoors, and (4) a fixed house without access to the outdoors. The present study was repeated at different times of the year to determine if a seasonal effect on the consumption of pasture and carcass quality was present. Overall, raising birds in hoop houses resulted in a reduced growth rate compared with birds raised in the fixed house. None of the production systems altered bone strength or feed conversion. Food-borne pathogens commonly associated with poultry were not found in any of the environments tested. Seasonal production was an issue in the small hoop house birds, as extreme heat in the summer resulted in early termination of that trial. Expanding on forage choice in pastures and customizing hoop houses to deal with weather fluctuations, especially in regions where extreme heat may affect production, are important considerations for these systems.     

Short-term effects on productivity and egg quality in nutrient-restricted versus non-restricted organic layers with access to different forage crops

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to study the effects of different forage crops on productivity and some egg quality parameters of small flocks of organic laying hens fed whole wheat or concentrates. Each experiment was carried out in a split plot design with two different forage crops and two types of supplementary feed (typical concentrate for organic layers versus whole wheat) with three replications. In the first experiment the tested forage crops were of a well-established grass/clover and a mixture of forbs (Fagopyrum esculentum, Phacelia tanacetifolia and Linum usitatissimum). In the second experiment the tested forage crops were a well-established grass/clover and chicory (Cichorium intybus cv. Grassland Puna). The results on productivity and egg quality suggest that laying hens consume large amounts of foraging material when accessible. In nutrient restricted hens (wheat-fed) the forage may yield a substantial contribution to the requirements of amino acids and metabolizable energy although productivity parameters and measurements on dry matter in albumen showed that wheat-fed hens, on a short-term basis, were not able to fully compensate for the lack of protein and amino acids by increased foraging. Of the forage crops investigated especially chicory seems to contribute to the nutrition of the hens. Measurements on eggshell parameters showed that oyster shells together with foraging material were sufficient to meet the hens’ calcium requirements. Yolk colour clearly revealed that laying hens consume large quantities of green fodder irrespective of the type of supplementary feed. Yolk colour from hens with access to chicory tended to be darker, of a redder and less yellow hue compared with grass/clover fed hens, which is considered a positive quality.     

海藻粉对蛋鸡生产性能及蛋品质的影响

在日粮中添加不同比例的海藻粉,研究其对蛋鸡生产性能及蛋品质的影响。选取576只30周龄健康蛋鸡,随机分成4组,每组设3个重复,每个重复48只鸡,第Ⅰ组为对照组,饲喂基础日粮;第Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ组在与基础日粮营养水平基本一致的基础上分别添加1%、3%、5%的海藻粉。结果表明,随着添加比例的增加,产蛋率、产蛋量均有不同程度的提高,料蛋比下降;同时能显著改善蛋黄颜色,提高蛋黄中蛋白质、脂肪、磷脂和碘的含量,降低胆固醇在蛋黄中的蓄积。     

酵母硒对吉林芦花鸡蛋品质及生产性能的影响

为研究添加不同浓度的酵母硒对吉林芦花鸡生产性能、蛋硒含量、蛋品质、鸡蛋胆固醇含量的影响,试验选用健康的21周龄吉林芦花鸡96只,平均体重1622 g.随机分成4组,每组6个重复,每个重复4只鸡.对照组饲喂基础日粮,其他3组分别添加0.3、0.6、0.9 mg/kg的酵母硒.预试期5 d,正式期21 d.结果表明:各组间...     

饲粮添加生姜粉对蛋鸡生产性能和蛋品质的影响

试验旨在探讨饲粮添加不同水平的生姜粉对蛋鸡生产性能和蛋品质的影响。选取27周龄罗曼褐壳蛋鸡120只,随机分为4组,每组设3个重复,每个重复10只。对照组饲喂基础饲粮,试验组分别添加0.5%、1.0%、1.5%的生姜粉。预饲期7 d,试验期4周。结果表明:饲粮中添加适量的生姜粉可以提高蛋鸡的平均日产蛋量和试验3~4周的产蛋率以及试验1~2周的平均蛋重(P<0.05)。饲粮中添加适量生姜粉能够提高鸡蛋的哈夫单位和蛋比重(P<0.05)。结果提示,饲粮中添加生姜粉可提高罗曼褐壳蛋鸡的生产性能和蛋品质,以1.0%生姜粉为最适添加量。     

Induction of reproductive activity and egg production by gonadotropin-releasing hormone in non-laying hens

The current study was conducted to evaluate the effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogue (Receptal) injection on reproductive traits of fully mature layers hens (32 weeks) suffered from inactive ovaries. Ninety-six non-laying hens (TETRA-SL brown egg layers), selected from a commercial flock, with similar body weight, were randomly assigned to four groups (n = 24). Hens in the 1st group served as a control. Hens of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th groups were individually intramuscularly injected every 4 days with 50, 100 and 150 µl of Receptal solution, respectively, for two times. The results stated that the injection of Receptal induced the non-laying hens to produce eggs, but control birds did not produce eggs during the experimental period. The distance between pelvic bones and between the pelvic bone and keel bone of hens was significantly improved (p < .001) in groups received different GnRH levels compared with the control group. The best results were observed in the group injected with 100 µl Receptal. Levels of LH, FSH, oestrogen and progesterone hormones were significantly (p < .05) higher in Receptal-treated groups than in the control group. Hens injected with Receptal had an increase in ovary%, yellow follicles number, oviduct% and oviduct length (p < .001) compared with the control. It was concluded that treating inactive ovaries in non-laying hens with GnRH injections for two times, 4-day intervals, is an effective procedure for inducing egg production and useful in cost reduction in layer farms, and the group treated with 100 µl Receptal had the best results.     

微生态制剂和异麦芽低聚糖对产蛋鸡产蛋性能和免疫力的影响

324只36周龄蛋鸡按3×3二因子完全随机设计分成9组,每组6个重复。微生态制剂添加水平为0%、1%和2%,异麦芽低聚糖的添加水平为0%、0.1%和0.2%。结果表明,添加1%或2%微生态制剂组蛋鸡平均日产蛋量均显著高于未添加组(P<0.10)。添加0.2%异麦芽低聚糖组蛋鸡日产蛋量显著高于未添加异麦芽低聚糖组和添加0.1%异麦芽低聚糖组(P<0.10)。添加0.1%或0.2%异麦芽低聚糖组料蛋比均低于未添加异麦芽低聚糖组(P<0.10)。添加2%微生态制剂组血清总SOD显著高于未添加微生态制剂组或添加1%微生态制剂组(P<0.10)。添加0.1%或0.2%异麦芽低聚糖组血清总SOD显著高于未添加组(P<0.10)。随微生态制剂和异麦芽低聚糖添加水平的提高,血清中IgA、IgM、IgG、C_3、C_4含量均有提高的趋势。     

当归补血散对高龄蛋鸡生产性能及蛋品质的影响

120只390日龄海兰褐蛋鸡,随机分为4组。以日粮中分别添加0.5%、1%、1.5%剂量的当归补血散饲喂Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ组鸡群,Ⅳ组为对照组。连续给药15 d。分别观察各组每天的产蛋率、日产蛋量等生产性能指标;于第8、15、22、30天各组随机收集10枚蛋测蛋品质指标。结果:试验组Ⅱ、Ⅲ的产蛋率比对照组提高了8.80%(P<0.01)、4.99%(P<0.05);日产蛋量均与对照组差异极显著(P<0.01),分别提高了12.12%、6.82%;料蛋比与对照组相比降低了12.46%(P<0.01)、11.42%(P<0.05)。Ⅱ组的蛋形指数与对照组有显著提高(P<0.05);Ⅰ和Ⅱ组的蛋壳厚度与对照组有显著提高(P<0.05)。其余指标与对照组差异不大(P>0.05)。结论:1%剂量可以明显提高高龄蛋鸡的生产性能和蛋品质。     

桑叶粉对蛋鸡生产性能和蛋品质的影响

本试验旨在研究桑叶粉对蛋鸡生产性能和蛋品质的影响。选取163只412日龄的罗曼粉蛋鸡,随机分成4组,每组12个重复,每个重复3～4只。分别饲以桑叶粉添加量为0、5%、8%和11%的试验日粮。试验期为40 d。试验结果表明:(1)桑叶粉添加组的产蛋率显著低于对照组(不添加组)(P<0.01);5%桑叶粉组的料蛋比显著高于对照组(P<0.05),8%、11%桑叶粉组的料蛋比与对照组的差异不显著(P>0.05);各组间平均日采食量差异不显著(P>0.05)。(2)桑叶粉添加组的蛋黄颜色显著深于对照组(P<0.01),且随着桑叶粉添加量的增加,蛋黄颜色加深;除蛋黄颜色外,各组间其他的鸡蛋物理指标均无显著差异(P>0.05)。(3)各组的蛋黄粗脂肪、粗蛋白质及胆固醇含量差异不显著(P>0.05);各桑叶粉添加组的蛋黄多不饱和脂肪酸(PUFA)、ω-6系脂肪酸的含量显著高于对照组(P<0.05),8%、11%桑叶粉组的蛋黄ω-3系脂肪酸含量显著低于对照组(P<0.01),而各组饱和脂肪酸(SFA)、单不饱和脂肪酸(MUFA)含量差异不显著(P>0.05)。以上结果表明,从开发饲料资源、提高蛋黄色泽和蛋黄中PUFA、ω-6...     

日粮中添加女贞子粉对蛋鸡生产性能和蛋品质的影响

选择150只49周龄、平均体重(1.99±0.17)kg的健康海兰褐蛋鸡,采用单因素完全随机分组试验设计,随机分为对照组(基础日粮)、试验组Ⅰ(基础日粮+0.5%女贞子粉)、试验组Ⅱ(基础日粮+1%女贞子粉)。每组设5个重复,每个重复10只蛋鸡,试验期为8周,研究了女贞子粉对蛋鸡生产性能和蛋品质的影响。结果表明:与对照组相比,试验组Ⅰ、Ⅱ产蛋率分别提高了4.86%和11.75%(P0.05)。试验组Ⅰ蛋黄颜色显著高于对照组9.60%(P0.05)。日粮中添加女贞子粉可以提高蛋鸡产蛋率,改善蛋黄颜色,进而提高蛋鸡的生产性能和蛋品质。