Petitte J N, Hawes R O, Gerry R W
Poult Sci. 1982 Nov;61(11):2166-71. doi: 10.3382/ps.0612166.
Two flocks of broiler breeder hens, differing in uniformity of body weight, were evaluated under cage and floor management systems over a 28-week period. Hens were housed singly in cages (N = 280) or in litter floor pens (N = 304). Caged hens were artificially inseminated with .05 ml of pooled semen once weekly. Floor birds were mated naturally. During the first 10 weeks of production, the more uniform flock exhibited significantly higher egg production than the less uniform flock. Uniformity did not influence cumulative egg production, egg weight, fertility, or mortality. Initial egg production was similar for caged and floor housed hens, but the caged birds attained significantly higher egg production during peak production. Caged females showed higher egg weights and body weights than did the floor females throughout the study. Naturally mated birds attained significantly higher fertility than artificially inseminated birds (94.9 vs. 90.6). Correlation coefficients for the weights of caged hens at 20 and 24 weeks with 24, 32, 40, and 50 week weights, total eggs per bird, and age at first egg indicated that body weight at 24 weeks was a better indicator of subsequent flock performance than was body weight at 20 weeks.
在28周的时间里，对两群体重均匀度不同的肉种鸡母鸡，在笼养和地面饲养管理系统下进行了评估。母鸡单独饲养在笼子里（N = 280）或垫料地面围栏中（N = 304）。笼养母鸡每周人工授精一次，授精量为0.05毫升混合精液。地面饲养的鸡自然交配。在生产的前10周，体重更均匀的鸡群产蛋量显著高于体重均匀度较差的鸡群。均匀度对累计产蛋量、蛋重、受精率或死亡率没有影响。笼养和地面饲养的母鸡初始产蛋量相似，但笼养鸡在产蛋高峰期的产蛋量显著更高。在整个研究过程中，笼养母鸡的蛋重和体重均高于地面饲养的母鸡。自然交配的鸡的受精率显著高于人工授精的鸡（94.9%对90.6%）。20周和24周时笼养母鸡体重与24周、32周、40周和50周体重、每只鸡的总产蛋数以及初产年龄之间的相关系数表明，24周时的体重比20周时的体重更能作为后续鸡群生产性能的指标。
