Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, P. R. China.
Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, P. R. China.
Poult Sci. 2020 Jan;99(1):163-171. doi: 10.3382/ps/pez543. Epub 2019 Dec 30.
This study investigated the effects of indoor stocking density on performance, egg quality, and welfare status of a native chicken, Beijing You Chicken (BYC), during 22 to 38 wk. A total of 1,040 19-wk-old BYC pullets were randomly allocated to 4 groups (2 replicates each) and reared in 8 individual floor pens with separate covered shed and uncovered outdoor areas. The indoor stocking densities were 5, 6, 7, and 8 hens/m, and the birds were fed corn-soybean based diets. The performance was calculated for 22 to 30, 30 to 38, and 22 to 38 wk, and egg quality indices were measured at the end of weeks 26, 29, and 36. The feather cover and gait score of the birds were assessed at the end of weeks 29 and 36. The results showed that average feed intake (AFI) and mortality rate of BYC in the 8 hens/m group were higher than other groups during 22 to 30 wk (P = 0.001 and P = 0.005); the egg mass and egg-laying rate were higher in groups with lower stocking density, in contrast to the feed egg ratio during 30 to 38 wk. The AFI, mortality rate, and 38-wk body weight were affected by stocking density during 22 to 38 wk (P < 0.05). Most of egg quality indices were not changed by stocking density (P > 0.05), except for individual indicators, such as Haugh unit at week 26 (P = 0.012) and egg grade at week 29 (P = 0.026). The feather cover and gait scores of birds were affected by indoor stocking density at 36 wk of age, with the 8 hens/m group having lower scores than the 5, 6, and 7 hens/m groups (P = 0.042 and P = 0.039), whereas the 7 hens/m groups having no difference with the 5 and 6 hens/m groups (P > 0.05). Overall, the results suggested that the performance and egg quality of BYC were not significantly affected by equal to or less than 7 hens/m under this system (P > 0.05), but 8 hens/m had an adverse effect on the performance and welfare status of the native chicken during 22 to 38 wk.
本研究旨在探讨室内饲养密度对 22 至 38 周龄北京油鸡（BYC）生产性能、蛋品质和福利状况的影响。将 1040 只 19 周龄的 BYC 母鸡随机分为 4 组（每组 2 个重复），饲养在 8 个独立的地板鸡舍中，每个鸡舍都有单独的覆盖式棚舍和露天区域。室内饲养密度分别为 5、6、7 和 8 只/平方米，鸡群饲喂玉米-豆粕基础日粮。在 22 至 30 周、30 至 38 周和 22 至 38 周时计算生产性能，在第 26、29 和 36 周时测量蛋品质指标。在第 29 和 36 周时评估鸡群的羽毛覆盖率和步态评分。结果表明，在 22 至 30 周时，8 只/平方米组的 BYC 母鸡平均采食量（AFI）和死亡率均高于其他组（P=0.001 和 P=0.005）；在 30 至 38 周时，低饲养密度组的蛋重和产蛋率较高，而料蛋比则相反。在 22 至 38 周时，饲养密度对 AFI、死亡率和 38 周龄体重有影响（P<0.05）。除个别指标外，如第 26 周的哈夫单位（P=0.012）和第 29 周的蛋级（P=0.026），大多数蛋品质指标不受饲养密度的影响（P>0.05）。在 36 周龄时，鸡群的羽毛覆盖率和步态评分受室内饲养密度的影响，8 只/平方米组的评分低于 5、6 和 7 只/平方米组（P=0.042 和 P=0.039），而 7 只/平方米组与 5 和 6 只/平方米组之间无差异（P>0.05）。总体而言，在本系统下，饲养密度等于或小于 7 只/平方米时，BYC 的生产性能和蛋品质不受显著影响（P>0.05），但 8 只/平方米会对 22 至 38 周龄北京油鸡的生产性能和福利状况产生不利影响。
