Resumo

SANCHEZ, C; MONTILLA, J. J.; ANGULO, I  e  LEON, A. Effect of laying house design and cage placement on body weight, mortality and food conversion in laying hens. Rev. Fac. Agron. [online]. 2003, vol.20, n.2, pp.195-209. ISSN 0378-7818.

In order to evaluate the effect of the laying house (different widths, with easel open sheds (CA) or easel closed sheds (CC)) and cage placement over body weight, mortality and food conversion in laying hens, a ten-month study was carried out on a commercial farm of 124.014 egg-laying hens. Cage rows along the outer wall of each shed were considered as lateral rows (HL) and central rows (HC) were the lines of cages occupying the center at the laying houses, respectively. An analysis of variance (one for each laying house) was made with a model of fixed effects that included the variation factors, rows and positions, and was compared between the laying houses. The results of productive parameters significantly favored (P<0,05) CA simple and double laying houses in comparison with CC in relations to mortality (6,6 vs 7,4%), feed conversion per dozen eggs and egg weight (Kg) (2,05 vs 2,20; 2,90 vs 3,23), corporal live-weight (2164 vs 2086g); and showed no differences with respect to narrow laying houses in weight gain and food conversion. No significant differences were observed with respect to cage type for these variables. These differences in productive parameters between HL and HC were greater and of greater magnitude for the CC laying houses than for the CA. There were no differences between rows for narrow laying houses. These results indicate that easel open shed laying houses are favorable, as well as cage placement in house ends and external lateral rows. In wide laying houses, the presence of CA in the shed with respect CC favors the poultry productivity, expressed in terms of lower mortality, better feed conversion per dozen eggs , egg weight and greater birds body weight. The response to HL indicates the recommendation of laying houses of less width and with CA in tropical climates.

Palavras-chave : Laying house design; laying hens; mortality; live-weight; feed conversion.