Hen Housing Systems Research Articles

Occurrence of Salmonella spp. in flocks of laying hens in different housing systems in eastern Croatia from 2020 to 2023

Human Salmonella infections are often associated with the consumption of infected eggs and egg products. Therefore, knowing the prevalence of Salmonella spp. in flocks of laying hens and the factors that influence the occurrence of Salmonella on farms is of the utmost importance. Since 2012, housing laying hens in conventional cages has been prohibited in the European Union, and hens may only be kept in enriched cages or alternative housing systems. The prohibition of conventional cages has improved the welfare of laying hens, but has raised issues concerning the detrimental consequences for the spread and occurrence of infectious diseases in hen flocks. The aim of this study was to analyse the occurrence of Salmonella spp. in laying hen flocks in eastern Croatia in the period from 2020 to 2023, and to determine whether housing systems have an impact on occurrence. During this period, a total of 1534 samples of laying hen faeces from 191 flocks (106 flocks housed in enriched cages and 85 flocks in housing systems with closed outdoor runs) were tested at the Diagnostics Laboratory of the Croatian Veterinary Institute, Veterinary Department Vinkovci, as part of implementation of the National Salmonellosis Control Programme and official sampling in the Republic of Croatia for the presence of Salmonella spp. Isolation, identification and serotyping of Salmonella was conducted in accordance with the standard HRN EN ISO 6579-1:2017/A1:2020 method. Salmonella spp. was confirmed in the faeces of seven laying hen flocks (6.60%) housed in enriched cages, and 11 flocks (12.94%) of laying hens in housing systems with outdoor runs. The research results showed that there was no significant difference in the total occurrence of Salmonella between flocks of laying hens housed in housing systems with outdoor runs and those in enriched cages. The highest percentage of positive flocks was found in 2020 in 11.11% of flocks of laying hens housed in enriched cages and 18.18% of flocks of laying hens kept in housing systems with outdoor runs. When observed by county over the four-year study period, the percentage of positive flocks was significantly higher (P<0.05) in Brod-Posavina County in comparison with Osijek-Baranja County and Vukovar-Srijem County. The research results suggest that there is small possibility that transitioning from enriched cage systems to alternative housing systems, with strict biosecurity measure implementation, would increase Salmonella infections in laying hen flocks.

Authentication of Laying Hen Housing Systems Based on Egg Yolk Using 1H NMR Spectroscopy and Machine Learning.

(1) Background: The authenticity of eggs in relation to the housing system of laying hens is susceptible to food fraud due to the potential for egg mislabeling. (2) Methods: A total of 4188 egg yolks, obtained from four different breeds of laying hens housed in colony cage, barn, free-range, and organic systems, were analyzed using 1H NMR spectroscopy. The data of the resulting 1H NMR spectra were used for different machine learning methods to build classification models for the four housing systems. (3) Results: The comparison of the seven computed models showed that the support vector machine (SVM) model gave the best results with a cross-validation accuracy of 98.5%. The test of classification models with eggs from supermarkets showed that only a maximum of 62.8% of samples were classified according to the housing system labeled on the eggs. (4) Conclusion: The classification models developed in this study included the largest sample size compared to the literature. The SVM model is most suitable for evaluating 1H NMR data in terms of the hen housing system. The test with supermarket samples showed that more authentic samples to analyze influencing factors such as breed, feeding, and housing changes are required.

End of the Cage Age? A Study on the Impacts of the Transition from Cages on the EU Laying Hen Sector

This paper’s main objective is to assess the impacts of the ban on cages for housing laying hens, planned by the European Commission to raise animal welfare standards beyond the level set in the current legislation. The farm-level economic assessments of the ban were carried out in three stages: farm surveys and expert consultations, farm-level analyses, and aggregation to the EU-27 egg production sector. Four scenarios were constructed. All financial estimates were conducted with fixed prices from the year 2021 for which the reference scenario was built. Alternative hen-housing systems were barn (Voliera), free range, and organic. Until now, more than 50% of laying hens in the EU have already been transferred to alternative systems. The remaining part is subject to the transition. The basic assumptions included a reduction in yields due to the required lower densities and specifics of the production systems. A factor strongly differentiating the scenarios is likelihood of exists form the sector, as declared in the survey by many farmers, mainly those reaching retirement age without successors and keeping relatively small flocks of hens. The introduction of the ban will cause a decrease in egg production, varying between the scenarios. Substantial investments will be required within the range of 2–3.2 billion EUR, depending on the scenario.

The relationship between different laying hen housing systems in Lithuania and egg production quality and chemical composition

The relationship between different laying hen housing systems in Lithuania and egg production quality and chemical composition

Comparison of Antimicrobial Resistance among Commensal Escherichia coli Isolated from Retail Table Eggs Produced by Laying Hens from the Cage and Non-Cage Housing Systems in Western Australia.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a global public health concern in recent decades. Although several investigations evaluated AMR in commensal and pathogenic bacteria from different foods of animal origin in Australia, there is a lack of studies that compared AMR in commensal E. coli isolated from retail table eggs obtained from different laying hen housing systems. This study aimed to determine AMR and differences in AMR patterns among E. coli isolates recovered from retail table eggs sourced from caged and non-caged housing systems in Western Australia. Commensal E. coli isolates were tested for susceptibility to 14 antimicrobials using a broth microdilution method. Clustering analyses and logistic regression models were applied to identify patterns and differences in AMR. Overall, there were moderate to high frequencies of resistance to the antimicrobials of lower importance used in Australian human medicine (tetracycline, ampicillin, trimethoprim, and sulfamethoxazole) in the isolates sourced from the eggs of two production systems. All E. coli isolates were susceptible to all critically important antimicrobials except the very low level of resistance to ciprofloxacin. E. coli isolates from eggs of non-caged systems had higher odds of resistance to tetracycline (OR = 5.76, p < 0.001) and ampicillin (OR = 3.42, p ≤ 0.01) compared to the isolates from eggs of caged systems. Moreover, the number of antimicrobials to which an E. coli isolate was resistant was significantly higher in table eggs from non-caged systems than isolates from caged systems' eggs. Considering the conservative approach in using antimicrobials in the Australian layer flocks, our findings highlight the potential role of the environment or human-related factors in the dissemination and emergence of AMR in commensal E. coli, particularly in retail table eggs of non-cage system origin. Further comprehensive epidemiological studies are required to better understand the role of different egg production systems in the emergence and dissemination of AMR in commensal E. coli.

Keel bone damage affects behavioral and physiological responses related to stress and fear in two strains of laying hens.

Keel bone damage (KBD) is more prevalent in alternative laying hen housing systems than in conventional cages, and its incidence differs from strain to strain. However, the information of KBD in Lindian chickens, a native Chinese strain, is limited. To investigate the effect of KBD on fearfulness and physiological indicators of stress in Lindian chickens and commercial laying hens, a total of two hundred 25-wk-old chickens (100 Hy-line Brown and 100 Lindian chickens) were studied for 7wk. The birds were housed in furnished cages with 10 birds per cage for each strain. At 32-wk of age, the birds in each strain were divided into normal (NK), deviated (DK), and fractured (FK) hens according to the keel bone status. Ten birds in each keel bone status per strain were subsequently selected to collect blood for the determination of stress and fear-related indicators, including corticosterone, serotonin, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6, and measure fear responses, including novel object test (NOT), human approach test (HAT), and tonic immobility (TI) test. The results showed that egg production was lower and the incidence of keel bone fractures was higher in Lindian chickens than in Hy-line Brown hens (P < 0.05). Lindian chickens showed a significantly increased whole blood serotonin content, NOT-latency, HAT-score, and TI induction times (P < 0.05) and decreased serum interleukin-6 content and TI-duration (P < 0.05) compared with Hy-line Brown hens. Additionally, FK hens had significantly elevated whole blood corticosterone, serum interleukin-1β and interleukin-6 levels, TI-duration, and NOT-latency (P < 0.05), and a reduced whole blood serotonin content (P < 0.05) compared with NK and DK hens. Our results indicated that KBD affected stress and fear responses, and this impact was mainly reflected by FK hens compared with NK and DK hens. We suggest that keel bone fractures are the main factor impairing hen welfare. Besides, the incidence of keel bone fractures and stress and fear responses of Lindian chickens are more severe than Hy-line Brown laying hens, indicating that the strain type can affect the health and welfare of laying hens.

Thermal environment characterization of laying hen-housing systems

Thermal environment characterization of laying hen-housing systems

Different Non-cage Housing Systems Alter Duodenal and Cecal Microbiota Composition in Shendan Chickens.

Housing systems are among the most important non-genetic factors affecting hen production performance and intestinal microbes. With increased interest in animal welfare, cage-free laying hen housing systems have become common, providing behavioral freedom and health benefits. The present study aimed to compare the effects of plastic net housing system (NRS) and floor litter housing system (LRS) on the composition and function of the duodenal and cecal microbiota in Shendan chicken, one of the most popular laying hen strains in China. The associations between the differential microbiota abundance and production traits and intestinal morphological parameters were determined. Compared with the LRS, the NRS improved the laying rate (p < 0.05) and increased the villus height (VH) of the duodenum (p < 0.05) and the VH-to-crypt depth ratio (VCR) of the cecum (p < 0.05). Alpha diversity analysis showed that LRS chickens had a significantly higher diversity and richness than NRS chickens. Beta diversity analysis demonstrated differences in the microbiota composition based on housing systems. Within the cecum, Proteobacteria and Kiritimatiellaeota were significantly more abundant in the LRS than in the NRS (p < 0.05), while Bacteroidetes were significantly less abundant in the LRS (p < 0.05). Phascolarctobacterium and Ruminococcaceae_UCG-005 were significantly less abundant in the LRS (p < 0.05) compare to the NRS. Within the duodenum, Lactobacillus was significantly less abundant in the LRS (p < 0.05) than in the NRS, while Pseudomonas was significantly more abundant in the LRS (p < 0.05). Cecal Phascolarctobacterium and Ruminococcaceae_UCG-005 were significantly positively correlated with eggshell strength (R = 0.608, p < 0.01) and egg weight (R = 0.526, p < 0.05), respectively. Duodenal Lactobacillus was significantly positively correlated with VH and VCR (R = 0.548 and 0.565, p < 0.05), while Pseudomonas was significantly negatively correlated with the Haugh unit (R = −0.550, p < 0.05). In conclusion, there are differences in the cecal and duodenal microbiota compositions of Shendan laying hens reared in different non-cage housing systems, and the NRS was superior to the LRS in improving the laying performance and intestinal morphology and microecological environment.

The relationship between egg quality and hen housing systems - A systematic review

Although conventional battery hen cages are still prevalent in the global market, the movement towards greener methods is gaining momentum beyond Europe. However, egg quality and the degree to which it is affected by the different systems of production remains a controversial subject and there is still no consensus among researchers. Using PRISMA guidelines the literature reporting the housing systems effects of egg quality was systematically investigated. The related studies with different eggs production systems by databases including Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus (between 1992 and 2020) were retrieved. Were adopted inclusion criteria, accepting studies that discussed measurable effects related to the topic that was written in English, Portuguese and Spanish. The search results which met the inclusion criteria were evaluated and included in the review In this regard, out of 3380 explored articles in the identification stage, 50 studies were used in the systematic review. Hen housing systems from different countries were recapped in this study. A brief outline of published scientific evidence demonstrates that the production system can change the egg quality. The overall rank order considering the type of system studied was cage (88%) > free-range (32%) > floor (30%) > organic (22%) and aviary (8%). Among the continents researched, Europe proved to have the most developed research relating to the subject. Egg weight was the most studied quality response. This study summarizes the housing system types used in egg production and provides a roadmap for future research regarding egg production. Robust trials evaluating different housing systems in the same conditions, and evaluating the interaction of factors such as genetics and age of animals, evaluating more responses of internal and external quality of eggs are lacking.

Comparison of Changes in the Plumage and Body Condition, Egg Production, and Mortality of Different Non-Beak-Trimmed Pure Line Laying Hens during the Egg-Laying Period.

Simple SummaryThe spread of both alternative and non-cage laying hen housing systems and the more forceful European refusal of beak trimming generate new problems in commercial egg production. The hybrid layers, which have been genetically selected under cage housing conditions for more decades, have lively temperament, are more susceptible for feather pecking and, in more cases, they are expressly aggressive, which led to permanent conflict situations in the large group keeping systems. Therefore, the omission of beak trimming could lead to an increased risk for feather pecking and consequently to a risk for increased mortality in the hen house by using the current commercial layers. Therefore, changes in the live weight, plumage and body condition, egg production, and mortality of different TETRA pure line non-beak-trimmed laying hens were compared during the egg-production period in our study, where the plumage condition was considered as an indicator trait for feather pecking. Our results confirm the findings of former studies that the genetic background of the hens is an important factor impacting feather pecking and suggest that breeding for an improved plumage condition might be a potential way to improve animal welfare in non-beak-trimmed layer flocks.The experiment was carried out with altogether 1740 non-beak-trimmed laying hens, which originated from Bábolna TETRA Ltd., representing two different types (Rhode Island Red (RIR) and Rhode Island White (RIW)) and four different lines (Lines 1–2: RIR, Lines 3–4: RIW). The plumage and body condition of randomly selected 120 hens (30 hens/line) was examined at 20, 46, and 62 weeks of age. The egg production and the mortality of the sampled hens were recorded daily. Based on the results, it was established that the lines differ clearly in most of the examined traits. It was also pointed out that injurious pecking of the hens resulted not only in damages in the plumage but also in the body condition. The results obviously demonstrated that the highest egg production and the lowest mortality rate were reached by those hens, which had the best plumage and body condition. Because the occurrence of injurious pecking seems to depend on the genetic background, selection of the hens (lines, families, individuals) for calm temperament will be very important in the future in order to maintain the high production level in non-beak-trimmed layer flocks.

Development and Optimization of a Deep-Learning-Based Egg-Collecting Robot

HighlightsAn egg-collecting robot embedded with deep-learning-based computer vision algorithms was constructed.The retrained deep-learning detector achieved &amp;gt;93% performance for detecting and locating eggs in images.The kernel sizes of 65 × 65 pixels for erosion and dilation in image processing assisted in extracting geometry features of eggs with the least remaining noises.The robot with soft grouting sponge on the gripper had 92% to 94% success in picking white and brown eggs.Abstract. Manual collection of floor eggs in cage-free hen housing systems is time-consuming and laborious. The objectives of this study were to (1) develop a robot to automatically collect floor eggs and (2) optimize the performance of recognizing and picking eggs with the robot. The robot consisted of a deep-learning-based egg detector, a robot arm, a two-finger gripper, and a hand-mounted camera. The deep-learning model, You Only Look Once (YOLO) V3, was embedded in the vision system to detect and locate eggs on a simulated litter floor in real-time. Image processing algorithms (e.g., cropping, erosion, etc.) were implemented for the detection and provided the robot with centroid coordinates, orientation, and axis lengths of the detected eggs, so that the gripper could be manipulated with an appropriate angle and opening width to grasp the detected eggs. For optimization, the YOLO V3 model was retrained with a dataset of floor eggs and achieved &amp;gt;93% performance in detecting and locating eggs. The kernel size of 65 × 65 pixels for erosion and dilation in image processing assisted in extracting the geometry features of eggs with the least remaining noises. Among the tested materials, soft grouting sponge attached to the gripper had the highest success rates for egg picking. The robot achieved 92% to 94% success in picking white and brown eggs. In sum, the developed egg-collecting robot can be relied on for picking floor eggs to assist in precision management of cage-free hen housing systems. Keywords: Floor egg, Image processing, Laying hen, Robot arm, Soft gripper, YOLO V3.

Free-range egg production: its implications for hen welfare

Free-range laying hen housing systems are prevalent in Australia and perceived by consumers to provide greater opportunities for the expression of natural behaviour resulting in higher hen welfare. However, all housing systems have both benefits and risks and scientific evidence is needed on the welfare outcomes of free-range systems. In this review, the scientific literature is summarised from the past 10 years, from research conducted within Australia or internationally with brown laying-hen strains kept in free-range systems. It compiles information on range use by laying hens, hen behaviour while on the range, factors that affect range use, and impacts of ranging on hen health and other aspects of welfare. Novel insights have come from the use of radio-frequency identification systems that allow tracking of individual hens and have shown that the majority of hens access the range with multiple visits across the day, but a small proportion of hens within most flocks choose to remain indoors. Hens also vary in which areas of the range they use, and provision of natural or man-made shelters can increase both range access and range distribution. Hens spend most of their time foraging while outdoors, but the types and frequencies of behaviours vary depending on the resources available and other factors. Range access can be linked to health benefits such as improved plumage condition and reduced footpad dermatitis but there are also health risks associated with free-range systems such as greater susceptibility to disease (e.g. spotty liver disease), heat stress, predation, and potentially parasites in comparison to loose or cage housing systems. Design of the range area, indoor shed, management practices and rearing environments can all influence how hens utilise free-range housing systems. Further research is crucially needed on the impact of ranging on hen welfare in variable Australian climatic conditions, encompassing intense heat and sunlight as well as cooler or wet environments.

Hen housing system information effects on U.S. egg demand

The U.S. egg industry has been moving rapidly towards “cage-free” aviary housing as an alternative to conventional cages for hens. A choice experiment was used to evaluate the U.S. public’s willingness to pay (WTP) for egg attributes including housing system, color, size, and certifying agency. A significant difference in WTP for hen housing systems was found using video information treatments describing hen housing systems. When respondents were shown videos of egg production systems, they were indifferent between cage-free aviary and the alternative enriched colony hen housing system whereas with no video information the respondents clearly preferred the cage-free system. Results point towards potential public misunderstanding of the costs and benefits associated with the “cage-free” egg label designation and highlight potential discrepancies between industry commitments and informed consumer preferences.

The influence of the conditions of acquisition and storage of table eggs on changes in their quality and the presence of mycobiota and Fusarium mycotoxins

The study showed that the hen housing system and egg storage conditions had significant influence on differences in the qualitative traits of eggs. The most rapid qualitative traits changes were observed in the eggs laid by the hens kept in the free-range and litter systems. After the first week of storage fungi were found on the eggshell surface but significant growth of fungi on the eggshell surface was noted after 3 wk, regardless of the storage conditions. Higher humidity during egg storage causes the dynamic development of fungi in the albumen. The principal component analysis proved the dependency between ergosterol and the trichothecene concentration in the albumen. Mycotoxins in the albumen indicate the presence of pathogenic species of microscopic fungi. The albumen of the eggs laid by the hens kept in cages had the lowest concentration of mycotoxins. The results of the study showed that the conditions of the henhouse environment significantly influenced the initial contamination of eggshells. Egg storage conditions, i.e., high air humidity, favor the development of fungi on the eggshell surface, affect the dynamics of fungal growth into the albumen and the production of mycotoxins.

Physical and mechanical characteristics of Hisex Brown hen eggs from three different housing systems

The aim of this study was to compare physical and mechanical characteristics of Hisex hen eggs collected from three different housing systems: enriched cage housing, aviary housing, and free-range systems. The following physical and mechanical characteristics if eggs were compared: dimensions, surface area, volume, sphericity, shape index, shell thickness, weight, composition, yolk to albumen ratio, rupture force, specific deformation, absorbed energy, and firmness. The largest and heaviest eggs were collected from cage housing, followed by eggs from free-range systems and aviary housing. According to shape index, eggs from aviary housing can be described as round, while eggs from cage housing and free-range systems can be characterised as normal or standard. Eggs from free-range laying hens had the highest yolk percentage and yolk to albumen ratio (26.2% and 0.427). In comparison to eggs from aviary housing and free-range systems, eggs from enriched cage housing had the thickest shells and the highest shell strength, and required the highest force to rupture those eggs. The average force required to rupture Hisex Brown hen eggs from cage housing in all three axes was 44.14 N, which was 12.1% higher than the average force required to rupture eggs from a free-range system (39.37 N) and 17.1% higher than the average force required to rupture eggs from aviary housing (37.68 N). The highest forces required to rupture eggs from all three housing systems were determined on loading along the X-front axis and the lowest forces were determined along the Z-axis. The results obtained in this study can be useful to producers when selecting hen housing systems in order to reduce egg damage during storage and transport. Keywords: egg composition, egg weight, rupture force, shape index, shell thickness

Colonization of internal organs by Salmonella Enteritidis in experimentally infected laying hens of four commercial genetic lines in conventional cages and enriched colony housing

The prevalence of Salmonella Enteritidis in commercial egg-laying flocks is a prominent public health concern because contaminated eggs cause human illness. Deposition of this pathogen inside eggs results from bacterial colonization of reproductive tissues in infected hens. Environmental conditions can influence avian Salmonella infections, but the food safety consequences of different poultry housing systems remain uncertain. The present study assessed the invasion of internal organs by Salmonella Enteritidis in groups of experimentally infected laying hens of four commercial genetic lines (designated as white egg lines W1 and W2 and brown egg lines B1 and B2). Groups of hens from each line were housed at 555 cm2 of floor space per bird in both conventional cages and colony units enriched with access to perches and nesting areas. All hens were orally inoculated with 5.75 × 107 colony-forming units of a two-strain Salmonella Enteritidis mixture. At 6 to 7 d post-inoculation, hens were euthanized, and samples of liver, spleen, ovary, oviduct, and intestinal tract were removed for bacteriologic culturing. The frequency of Salmonella Enteritidis recovery from intestinal samples was significantly (P < 0.05) greater for the two white egg lines combined than for the two brown egg lines combined in both conventional cage (72.2% vs. 50.0%) and enriched colony housing systems (66.7% vs. 37.5%). The frequency of intestinal Salmonella Enteritidis isolation from line B1 was significantly higher from hens in conventional cages (47.2%) than in enriched colonies (22.2%), but no differences were observed for other hen lines. Line W1 yielded more positive intestinal samples than either brown egg line in conventional cages, and line B2 had fewer positive intestinal samples than all other lines in enriched colonies. There were no significant differences between hen lines or housing systems in Salmonella Enteritidis isolation from other internal organs. These results demonstrate that Salmonella Enteritidis colonization of the intestinal tract can vary between genetic lines of egg-laying hens and that some lines are subject to housing system influences on Salmonella susceptibility.

Fraud detection in hen housing system declared on the eggs’ label: An accuracy method based on UV-VIS-NIR spectroscopy and chemometrics

EU regulation classifies egg production in four hen housing systems: organic, free range, barn and cages. However, there are no analytical methods for a complete detection of the housing systems declared on the eggs’ label. This work describes a new method for this task. A lipid extract was obtained, and eggs classified in the four housing systems by UV-VIS-NIR spectroscopy and chemometrics. A total of 192 spectra were analysed. Eggs were classified by Support Vector Machine classification and Linear and Quadratic Discriminant Analysis (LDA and QDA, respectively). The cholesterol concentration did not allow to classify correctly the four farming systems. However, the yolk lipid extract successfully classified the eggs of the hen housing system. Results showed 100% accuracy by UV-VIS-NIR spectrum of the yolk lipid extract with the QDA statistical analysis. These results indicate that this lipid extract is a promising tool for analytical verification of the farming system.

Housing and Management Practices on 33 Pullet Farms in Canada.

Simple SummaryThe rearing period of pullets plays an important role in the successful transition to furnished cages or non-cage housing systems for laying hens. Changes in the laying hen sector often occur without accompanying changes in the pullet rearing sector, which could pose a risk to the success of the housing system transition. However, little is known about the housing and management practices of pullets worldwide. Recently, a new Code of Practice was released (March 2017) in Canada which provides one of the first guidelines on pullet rearing. This study aimed to describe current housing and management practices applied on pullet farms in Canada, where farmers are in the process of transitioning to this new Code of Practice. Thirty-three pullet farmers were surveyed to understand commonly used management practices in cage (14), single-tier (11) and multi-tier (8) flocks. In general, non-cage farmers met the new requirements set out in the Code of Practice for space, perches and litter provision during pullet rearing. Flocks in conventional cages did not have opportunities for perching and foraging. Further research is needed to develop methods to provide pullets with opportunities to perch and forage in these systems. Additionally, clear litter management recommendations for farmers to ensure good litter quality are needed for non-cage housing systems.Although Canada is one of the first to provide guidelines on pullet rearing in a new Code of Practice which came into effect in March 2017, little information is available about the housing and management of pullets on Canadian farms. We surveyed 99 pullet farmers and received useable responses from 33 pullet farmers (33.3% response rate) who took part in the Start Clean-Stay Clean™ program through their provincial egg boards across Canada during October–December 2017 as part of a larger study. Most flocks were housed in conventional cage systems (42.4%), followed by single-tier (33.3%) and multi-tier systems (24.2%). Flocks ranged from 1–19 weeks of age (average: 10.5 weeks of age) and were white- (58.1%) or brown-feathered (41.9%). In general, non-cage farmers met the new requirements set out in the Code of Practice for space, perches and litter provision during pullet rearing during this transitional period. Conventional caged flocks did not have opportunities for perching and foraging, but developing new methods to provide pullets with opportunities to perch and forage will become more important as the laying hen housing system transition from conventional cages to furnished cage and non-cage housing systems in Canada progresses. Additionally, clear litter management recommendations for farmers to ensure good litter quality are needed for non-cage housing systems.

Consumer perceptions of egg-laying hen housing systems.

The egg industry has transitioned, or is in the process of transitioning, from conventional cages to alternative hen housing systems in response to legal changes in many states across the United States (US). However, consumers find it is increasingly difficult to understand the details behind those labels and specific attributes conveyed. There are multiple hen housing options with a wide range of costs and impacts on hens, workers, and the environment. This research furthers the understanding of US public perceptions and attitudes related to hen housing systems and corresponding animal welfare, worker, economic, and environmental effects. Results reveal that the US public perceives cage-free aviaries as achieving essentially the same positive impact on hen health and stress, hen behavior, and environmental impact as free-range systems when compared to conventional cage systems. The information provided can assist industry, marketing, and policy decisions with respect to hen housing.

Effect of Alternative Housing System and Hen Genotype on Egg Quality Characteristics

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of type of alternative housing system and layer genotype on the quality of table eggs. The investigated eggs came from native Greenleg Partridge hens (Z-11) and Rhode Island Red hens (R-11) covered by the gene-pool protection program, as well as from Hy-line Brown commercial hens from litter barn (LS), free range (FR), and organic systems (OS). Eggs for the study were collected from the hens at 56 wk of age. Egg quality assessment was based on the following values egg traits: weight, shape index, yolk, albumen, and shell percentage in the whole egg; eggshell traits: color intensity, weight, thickness, density, breaking strength, physical features of egg content: albumen height, value of Haugh units, yolk color; presence of meat/ blood spots and cholesterol, higher fatty acids, vitamin A and E in egg yolks. In the rearing systems under study, eggs with the highest weight were laid by commercial hens, and the type of alternative rearing system had no significant effect on this trait. Shell colour intensity depends on the breed of hen, whereas the rearing system has no significant effect on this trait. Hen genotype and housing system had an effect on egg shell weight, thickness, and density. The housing system influences the content of MUFA, PUFA, PUFAn-6 and PUFAn-3 as well as PUFA 6/3 in egg yolks. No effect of the housing system on egg yolk cholesterol content was observed.