Effect of furnished small group housing systems and furnished cages on mortality and causes of death in two layer strains

Abstract

1. Mortality and causes of death were recorded over two trials with 13 045 Lohmann Selected Leghorn (LSL, white layer strain) and 4410 Lohmann Brown (LB) laying hens kept in furnished small group housing systems and furnished cages. In trial 1, hens were housed from weeks 19 to 71 (LSL) and 17 to 69 (LB). In trial 2, LSL hens were housed from weeks 18 to 57. 2. The hens were kept in groups of 40 and 60 in the furnished small group housing system Eurovent 625 + a-EU and in groups of 10 and 20 in the furnished cages Aviplus and Eurovent 625A-EU. 3. To investigate the possible effect on mortality of rearing the birds on litter floors or in cages, in trial 2 half of the LSL hens were reared on the floor and half in conventional cages. 4. Mortality was greater in the Eurovent furnished small group housing system (5·2%) than in the furnished cages Aviplus (4·0%) and Eurovent (4·2%). 5. Mortality was also affected by the interactions among housing system and trial, layer strain and rearing. In trial 1, more LB laying hens died in the Aviplus system than in the Eurovent group system. There was no significant difference in mortality of the LSL laying hens between housing systems in trial 1. In trial 2, mortality of the LSL hens was greater in the group housing system (hens reared on litter floors: 10·1%; hens reared in cages: 2·8%) than in the furnished cage Aviplus (hens reared on litter floors: 6·0%; hens reared in cages: 1·5%). 6. Mortality was greater in floor-reared LSL laying hens than in the LSL laying hens reared in conventional cages. 7. Group size within housing system had no significant effect on mortality. 8. The most common findings at autopsy were different types of cannibalism (65·51%), with vent cannibalism (38·57%) the most common.