1. Effects of ambient temperature, feather cover, and housing system on energy partitioning and performance in laying hens1
- Author
-
M.J.W. Heetkamp, H. van den Brand, I. van den Anker, M.M. van Krimpen, R.P. Kwakkel, and G.P. Binnendijk
- Subjects
Litter (animal) ,biology ,Ecology ,Chemistry ,Fowl ,General Medicine ,Calorimetry ,biology.organism_classification ,Manure ,Laying ,Animal science ,Feather ,visual_art ,Respiration ,Genetics ,visual_art.visual_art_medium ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Cage ,Food Science - Abstract
Environmental factors, such as ambient temperature (T), feather cover (FC), and housing system (HS), probably affect energy requirements of laying hens. Using a 3 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, interaction effects of T (11, 16, and 21°C), FC (100 and 50%), and HS (cage and floor housing) on energy partitioning and performance of laying hens were investigated. Six batches of 70 H&N Brown Nick laying hens, divided over 2 respiration chambers, were exposed to the T levels in three 2-wk periods. Heat production (HP) was determined by indirect calorimetry. The ME intake was calculated by subtracting energy in manure/litter from that in feed and wood shavings. The NE was calculated by subtracting HP from ME. The ME intake increased by 1% for each degree reduction in T. In hens with intact plumage, HP was not affected by T, whereas at decreasing T, HP increased in hens with 50% FC (P
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF