Semi-posed hens reared on different bed types

Abstract

SUMMARY In the system of creation in floor the hens are created directly in contact with the floor that can be covered by different types of materials. The aim of this study was to evaluate the thermal environment, behavior, zootechnical indexes and quality of chicken eggs created in two types of flooring, wooden shavings and synthetic grass, were used 120 semi-heavy laying hens, Hysex Brown®, of these, half were created on wooden shaving and half on synthetic grass (Carpet Astro Turf®) distributed in a completely randomized in repeated measures in time in two treatments and two replications of 30 laying hens, during 56 days (two periods of 28 days). Were evaluated temperatures maximum and minimum, dry and wet bulb temperature, black globe temperature, relative humidity, temperature and humidity index and black globe temperature and humidity index; the frequency of natural behavior; the daily egg production per bird, per bird housed, and marketable, viability, feed consumption and feed conversion per dozen and per mass, average egg weight, specific weight and egg shell thickness. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance and means compared by F test at 0.05 probability, except the frequency of natural behavior that was analyzed using the chi square analysis test. The results show that the values of the zootechnical indexes of the layers are consistent with the guide strains recommendations, having no influence from the kind of floor used as bed. Only significant differences were observed in the feed intakeper mass of birds grown under synthetic grass. Thus, it seems that synthetic grass could be an excellent substrate for the bed of semi-heavy laying hens in the egg production phase.