A Comparison of Wire Versus Litter Floors for Starting and Growing Pullets

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Two experiments were conducted to compare the effects of rearing egg production-type pullets on wire and litter floors. The following four treatments were used: 1) zero to 20 weeks—litter floors, feed with coccidiostat; 2) zero to ten weeks—litter floors, feed with coccidiostat, and ten to 20 weeks—wire floors, feed without coccidiostat; 3) zero to 20 weeks—wire floors, feed with coccidiostat; and 4) zero to 20 weeks—wire floors, feed without coccidiostat. At 20 weeks, all birds were moved to laying cages with two birds per cage. Commercial-type starter, grower and layer diets were fed to all birds.In both experiments the birds reared on wire floors were heavier than the litter floor reared birds through the growing period. The wire floor reared birds consumed more feed. There were no significant differences in mortality during the growing phase, nor in final body weights, final egg weights, mortality and feed efficiency during the laying phase. In experiment 1 the wire reared birds had a significantly greater egg production than the litter floor reared birds, but there was no significant difference in experiment 2.