Impact of Farming Models on the Reproductive Performance and Egg Quality of Vietnamese Local Chicken Breeds: Ho and Dong Tao

Hoang Ngoc Mai,Nguyen Dinh Tien,Nguyen Thi Phuong,Nguyen Van Duy,Vu Dinh Ton

doi:10.31817/vjas.2020.3.1.02

Abstract

The study was conducted from October 2016 to December 2017 at the Experimental Farm, Faculty of Animal Science, Vietnam National University of Agriculture, with the aim to evaluate the interaction between farming model types and reproductive performance of Ho and Dong Tao chickens. The two farming model types used in this research were (1) the traditional type – backyard and (2) the ameliorate type – battery cage. Data were collected from 61 Ho hens and 61 Dong Tao hens continuously during 52 laying weeks. The total number of eggs laid by hens raised in battery cages averaged 88.47 eggs (for Ho hens) and 94.91 eggs (for Dong Tao hens), 35-38% higher than the number of eggs laid by hens raised in a traditional model. The FCR index per 10 eggs laid in battery cages was significantly lower than that in the back-yard model (P< 0.001). In both the Ho and Dong Tao breeds, the rate between the number of embryonated eggs by number of incubated eggs recorded in the ameliorate model was higher than that recorded in the traditional model (P< 0.01 for Ho chickens, P< 0.001 for Dong Tao). The weight of eggs produced by hens raised in battery cages was higher than eggs laid by free-range hens for both Ho and Dong Tao chickens (P< 0.01). As such, the reproductive performances and egg quality of both Ho and Dong Tao breeds were apparently improved when chickens were raised in battery cages.

Highlights

Chicken farming in Vietnam has been actively transformed in recent decades, leading to a significant improvement in meat and egg Impact of Farming Models on the Reproductive Performance and Egg Quality of Vietnamese Local Chicken Breeds performance
Our results show that egg productivity of hens raised in battery cages was significantly higher than those raised in a traditional farming model type
This study showed that there was a significant difference in egg weight of both chicken breeds by farming model types

Summary

Introduction

Chicken farming in Vietnam has been actively transformed in recent decades, leading to a significant improvement in meat and egg Impact of Farming Models on the Reproductive Performance and Egg Quality of Vietnamese Local Chicken Breeds performance. The influence of farming models on egg productivity and quality has previously been published. In detail, caged hens were shown to produce higher numbers of eggs in comparison with eggs laid by cage-free hens; a high population density of chickens raised in cages conclusively caused symptoms of stress in chickens, possibly leading to reductions of productivity and disease resistance (Özbey & Esen, 2007). Chicken genotypes and cage construction styles were reported to affect egg weight, yolk weight, and shell weight (P< 0.01) (Tůmová et al, 2011)

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