The Impact of Laying Hen Age, Egg-Laying Time, Cage Tier, and Cage Direction on Egg Quality Traits in Hens in an Enriched Cage System

Şekeroğlu, A; Şentürk, YE; Tainika, B; Duman, M; Akyol, A

doi:10.1590/1806-9061-2024-1902

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Brazilian Journal of Poultry Science

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Original Article • Braz. J. Poult. Sci. 26 (2) • 2024 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-9061-2024-1902 copy

The Impact of Laying Hen Age, Egg-Laying Time, Cage Tier, and Cage Direction on Egg Quality Traits in Hens in an Enriched Cage System

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

ABSTRACT

This study determined the effect of layer age, egg-laying time, cage tier, and cage direction (outward-inward) on egg quality parameters of commercial layer chickens reared in enriched cages. A total of 944 layers (approximately 100 eggs every four weeks, from the 26 to the 58^th week) obtained from Lohmann LSL-Classic layers reared at the Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University Ayhan Şahenk Agricultural Application and Research Centre were analyzed. Laying hen age significantly affected all the egg quality variables (p<0.01). Egg weight, shell-breaking strength, egg surface area, Haugh unit, and yolk color score differed across egg-laying time (p<0.05; p<0.01). There was variability in all the external egg quality traits among the cage tiers (p<0.05), but not for internal egg quality (p>0.05). Furthermore, it was found that cage direction had a significant effect on egg weight, shell thickness, egg surface area, and all the internal egg quality traits, except for yolk color score (p<0.05; p<0.01). In conclusion, our results highlight significant changes in egg quality traits due to layer age, egg-laying time, cage tier, and cage direction.

Keywords:
Laying hens; enriched cage system; egg quality traits; egg-laying time; cage positioning

	Egg weight (g)	Shape index (%)	Shell thickness (mm)	Shell breaking strength (kg. f)	Egg surface area (cm²)
Age (A)
26	61.96^a	75.92^c	0.385^a	4.71^cd	71.44^a
30	63.53^b	75.46^bc	0.402^d	5.07^e	72.69^b
34	64.92^bcd	75.37^bc	0.414^e	4.77^d	73.82^ce
38	65.27^cd	74.57^ab	0.399^cd	4.56^cd	74.10^de
42	65.19^cd	74.23^a	0.399^cd	4.54^cd	74.01^de
46	63.60^b	74.59^ab	0.393^bc	4.29^ab	72.76^bcd
50	64.69^bc	74.61^ab	0.389^ab	4.48^bc	73.62^bcd
54	66.26^de	76.02^c	0.384^a	4.25^a	74.87^ef
58	67.08^e	73.81^a	0.389^ab	4.13^a	75.54^f
Laying Time (LT)
8.30 a.m.	66.14^c	75.11	0.396	4.62^b	74.79^c
12.30 p.m.	64.68^b	74.95	0.394	4.54^ab	73.60^b
4.30 p.m.	63.32^a	74.80	0.395	4.44^a	72.53^a
Cage Tier (CT)
1	65.13^b	75.32^b	0.399^b	4.62^b	73.96^b
2	64.09^a	74.47^a	0.394^a	4.54^ab	73.16^a
3	64.90^b	75.06^ab	0.393^a	4.43^a	73.79^b
Cage Direction (CD)
Outward	65.04	75.14	0.392	4.49	73.91
Inward	64.39	74.77	0.398	4.58	73.37
SEM	0.16	0.12	0.00	0.03	0.13
p values
A	**	**	**	**	**
LT	**	NS	NS	*	**
CT	*	*	*	*	*
CD	*	NS	**	NS	*

	Albumen index (%)	Haugh unit	Yolk index (%)	Yolk color score (DSM)
Age (A, week)
26	9.11^e	81.99^f	46.25^f	10.34^a
30	7.08^cd	70.29^d	43.01^de	11.03^c
34	6.30^b	66.15^bc	42.28^cd	10.69^b
38	6.18^b	63.90^ab	43.33^e	10.85^b
42	6.97^cd	68.32^cd	43.32^e	11.03^c
46	5.77^a	62.88^a	41.18^ab	10.37^a
50	7.32^d	72.90^e	41.80^bc	10.77^b
54	6.73^c	70.41^d	40.50^a	11.28^d
58	7.10^cd	73.23^e	42.66^de	11.51^e
Laying Time (LT)
8.30 a.m.	6.80	68.55^a	42.60	10.95^b
12.30 p.m.	7.01	70.66^b	42.75	10.86^ab
4.30 p.m.	7.08	71.07^b	42.81	10.81^a
Cage Tier (CT)
1	7.07	70.83	43.01	10.94^b
2	6.93	69.89	42.59	10.87^ab
3	6.89	69.56	42.55	10.81^a
Cage Direction (CD)
Outward	7.30	71.38	43.18	10.88
Inward	6.63	68.82	42.26	10.87
SEM	0.06	0.33	0.10	0.03
p values
A	**	**	**	**
LT	NS	**	NS	*
CT	NS	NS	NS	NS
CD	**	**	**	NS

	Egg weight (g)	Shape index (%)	Shell thickness (mm)	Shell breaking strength (kg. f)	Egg surface area (cm²)
A × CD	NS	NS	**	NS	NS
CD × LT	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS
CD × CT	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS
A × LT	**	**	NS	NS	NS
A × CT	NS	NS	*	NS	NS
LT × CT	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS
A × CD × CT	NS	**	NS	NS	NS
CD × LT × CT	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS
A × LT × CT	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS
A × LT × CT × CD	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS

	Albumen index, %	Haugh unit	Yolk index, %	Yolk color score (DSM)
A × CD	**	**	**	NS
CD × LT	NS	*	NS	NS
CD × CT	*	**	NS	NS
A × LT	NS	NS	NS	NS
A × CT	NS	NS	*	NS
LT × CT	*	NS	**	NS
A × CD × CT	NS	NS	NS	NS
CD × LT × CT	NS	NS	NS	NS
A × LT × CT	NS	NS	NS	NS
A × LT × CT × CD	NS	NS	NS	NS

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[1] Corresponding author e-mail address
Ahmet Şekeroğlu Department of Animal Production and Technologies, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technologies, Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University, 51240, Niğde, Turkiye. Phone: +905358764343 Email:ahmet.sekeroglu@ohu.edu.tr