The effects of 3 different furnished cage systems (Aviplus, Eurovent 625a, Eurovent 625A) on 2 different laying hen strains [Lohmann Selected Leghorn (LSL), Lohmann Brown (LB)] were examined for the traits of production, egg quality, bone strength, claw length, and keel bone status. Two trials were carried out in which all hens received identical feeding and management. In brown hens, the trait...

Background and Aim: Antibiotics that increase growth have long been employed as a component of chicken growth. Long-term, unchecked usage may lead to microbial imbalance, resistance, immune system suppression. Probiotics are suitable secure feed additive be provided solution. The objective this research was ascertain the effects dietary multistrain probiotics (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidob...

White (Lohmann LSL) and Brown (ATAK-S) laying hens, were reared under organic and conventional cage rearing systems, and the effects of the rearing system on performance parameters, egg production, egg characteristics, and immune response were investigated. For this purpose, a total of 832 laying hens of two commercial hybrids, i.e., 416 white (Lohmann LSL) and 416 Brown (ATAK-S) layers, were u...

The aim of the present work was to compare the effect of organic production vs standard cage system on welfare and performance of a pure breed (Ancona) vs a commercial strain (Brown Hy-Line) of laying hens through a multifunctional approach (behaviour, tonic immobility, feathers score, antioxidant status of the body, blood parameters, innate immunity and mortality). The trial was carried out in...

Four groups of 15-19 adult ISA Brown hens were studied in pens to assess the relationship between social status and use of perches and nestboxes. This was to test the hypothesis that subordinate hens use these resources more by day, for avoiding dominants, but that dominants use perches more at night, for roosting. The experiment consisted of a 5-week pre-treatment period, when no perches were ...

Effects of sand versus sawdust as a litter bath substrate in furnished cages for laying hens were studied. The study used 112 Hy-Line White (HYW) and 140 Hy-Line Brown (HYB) layers housed in 18 furnished cages with 14 hens in each cage, generating 4 or 5 replicates per combination of genotype and litter substrate. Traits studied were mortality, feather cover, hygiene of hens, pecking wounds, he...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of fermented red ginseng extract (FRGE) as feed additive in broilers and laying hens. In broilers, 480 Arbor Acre male broilers were randomly allotted to 4 treatments with 6 replications per treatment and 20 chicks per pen. The experiment lasted 5 weeks and dietary treatments were as follows: i) CON, basal diet; ii) FRGE1, basal diet+1 g/kg fe...

Severe feather-pecking (SFP), a particularly injurious behaviour in laying hens (Gallus gallus domesticus), is thought to be negatively correlated with range use in free-range systems. In turn, range use is thought to be inversely associated with fearfulness, where fearful birds may be less likely to venture outside. However, very few experiments have investigated the proposed association betwe...

Musilova A., Lichovnikova M., Kupcikova L., Anderle V. (2017): Effect of suboptimal levels of non-phytate phosphorus and exogenous phytase on precaecal digestibility of phosphorus and calcium in laying hens. Czech J. Anim. Sci., 62, 473–481. The precaecal digestibility of phosphorus and calcium in laying hens was evaluated at two dietary levels of non-phytate phosphorus (NPP; 1.58 and 2.03 g/kg...