Reproductive Performance of Laying Hens on Outbound and Return Sides of Automatic Feeders with Different Chain Speeds

Abstract

Abstract Experiments were conducted in six industry layer houses to determine the influence of hen position along the feeder on productive performance of laying hens. All hens were fed a commercial corn-soy mash diet with part of the limestone supplied in the form of pullet size particles of CaCO3. Four types of feeders, with six feeder speeds ranging from 2.5 to 27.3 m/minute, were tested. Treatments consisted of birds on the outbound and return sides of feeder lines, with each treatment replicated six times. Criteria studied were egg production, body weight, feed consumption, egg weight, egg specific gravity, and body-checked and cracked eggs. Calcium content of the feed collected at different feeder positions was also determined. Results indicated that hens on the return sides of the feeder had twice as many cracked and 50% more body-checked eggs than hens on the outbound side. With the exception of two houses, the incidence of cracked and body-checked eggs was significantly greater on return than outbound feeder lines regardless of type of feeder or feeder speed. Hens on the return side consumed significantly more (8%) feed when fed ad libitum than hens on the outbound side. There were no significant differences in dietary calcium levels taken at different feeder locations or in egg specific gravity between treatments. There were no significant differences in egg production, egg weight, or body weight between treatments. Because the increase in shell breakage and body-checked eggs was not due to differences in shell quality (specific gravity), it is hypothesized that shell quality problems were the result of higher activity levels of hens on return lines.