Effects of Cage Location and Tier Level with Respect to Light Intensity in Semiconfined Housing on Egg Production and Quality During the Late Laying Period

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of cage location and tier level with respect to light intensity on egg production and egg quality of hens housed in a semiconfined facility. Hens (ISA Brown, n = 225) at 75 wk of age were placed into 3-tier cages as top (T), middle (M), and bottom (B) tiers located in cages illuminated artificially (EI), by window (FW), or between corridors (C) for 2 mo. Light intensity was measured monthly for each cage at 5 cm from feeders every 6 h. Egg production was recorded daily and egg quality was assessed biweekly. Light intensity was the greatest for cages in the FW group (151.9, 119.8, and 89.8 lx for tiers T, M, and B, respectively), followed by EI (52.6, 54.5, and 51.0 lx for tiers T, M, and B, respectively), and C (44.5, 23.4, and 4.7 lx for tiers T, M, and B, respectively). Hens at location EI had greater egg production than hens at FW and C. Egg production for hens at tier T was also greater than for hens at tiers M and B. Egg production for hens at EI and C decreased quadratically, whereas that for hens at FW decreased linearly from tiers T to B. Cage location, but not tier level, affected egg weight. Hens at EI and FW produced heavier eggs than hens at C. Shape index, yolk color, and yolk index were independent of cage location and tier level. Hens at EI and FW produced eggs with thinner and weaker shells than hens at C. Moreover, eggshell strength increased linearly from tier T to B. Both albumen index and Haugh unit were the greatest for hens at FW, followed by EI and C. Their responses to cage location varied with tier levels. In conclusion, variation in light intensity in multitier cage systems in semiconfined laying hen houses may be a contributing factor for depressed laying performance and egg quality.