Effect of Two Housing Systems (cages Vs Deep Litters) on External and Internal Egg Characteristics of a Commercial Laying Birds Reared in Derived Savanna Zone of Nigeria

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of two housing systems on external and internal egg characteristics of a commercial laying bird. Two hundred and eighty pullet of Nera layers were divided into two even group kept in different housing systems (deep litter vs cage). External and internal egg quality traits were examined at 26, 30, 34 and 38wk. Data were then collected on egg weight, egg length, egg breadth, shell weight and shell thickness (external egg quality); yolk weight, yolk colour, yolk height, albumen weight, albumen height (internal egg quality). There were significant (P < 0.05) differences that exist between housing system and egg quality traits. Interaction between housing system and layer age was found in all the external egg traits to be better in deep litter system than caged eggs. Significantly higher value in deep litter than that of eggs from the cage birds for internal egg traits was observed only differed for yolk height that had higher value for yolk height in cage eggs. The result suggests that an appropriate housing system for a particular layer chickens should be considered to maximum egg quality traits.