Economic Evaluation of Controlled Environmental and Conventional Commercial Egg Production Systems in Georgia

Abstract

The value of controlled environmental production systems for commercial eggs has economic implications for the Southeast. The primary objectives of this study were to determine physical and economic differences among commercial egg production systems. Production records were obtained by personal interview surveys for 200 flocks of commercial layers during the 1972 to 1975 period. Production records were analyzed with respect to strains of hens and production systems to evaluate both average performance flocks and high performance flocks. Production costs were developed by budgetary procedures for average and high performance flocks. The best feed conversion of 3.78 pounds per dozen was obtained from high performance flocks housed in the semi-controlled environmental cage system. There was a 1.5 cent per dozen cost saving to high performance producers using the semi-controlled environmental cage system compared with high performance flocks housed in open cage systems. Commercial egg producers in the Southeast can, however, improve production efficiency by using high producing strains of hens and improved management practices with existing open cage systems.