Performance of Broiler Breeder Hens on Wire and Litter Floors

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Two experiments were conducted with broiler breeder hens to study the influence of litter versus wire floor on weight and specific gravity of eggs. In Experiment 1, one group of broiler breeder hens was maintained on litter and the other on wire. Specific gravity was significantly higher for eggs from hens kept on litter floors. When hens on wire floors had access to litter in a feeder, an increase in egg specific gravity was noted within one day.In Experiment 2, broiler breeder hens, 52 weeks of age, were separated into three treatments: litter floor, wire floor, and wire floor with old litter material in feeder. When hens received 3.22% dietary calcium, the egg specific gravity was highest (P<.05) from hens on the litter floor, intermediate from hens on wire with access to litter, and lowest from hens on wire without access to litter. Hens on wire with access to litter consumed 18.3 g litter/bird/day, corresponding to an additional intake of 352 mg calcium and 93 mg phosphorus. They also received 4700 mg calcium and 790 mg phosphorus from the feed.The specific gravity of eggs from hens with access to litter was higher than for eggs from those hens without access to the litter when hens received diets with 1.0 and .15% calcium. No significant differences were found in egg weight among treatments. The hens on wire with access to litter and fed 1.0 or .25 or 3.22% dietary calcium consumed 24.5, 28.5, and 18.9 g more of litter, respectively. This resulted in additional intakes of 530 mg calcium, 140 mg phosphorus and 455 mg calcium, 120 mg phosphorus for the low calcium groups, respectively. They also consumed 790 mg phosphorus and 1.46 and .39 g calcium, respectively, from the feed. The additional minerals from the litter were responsible for the improved egg shells.