The Effect of Housing Environment on Physical Egg Quality of White Egg Layers
Currently, the egg industry is experiencing a shift in demand for eggs from cage-free environments. This study aims to evaluate the egg quality parameters of white eggs laid in several different housing environments utilized in the industry. Egg quality parameters from battery cages, barren colony c...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-04-01
|
| Series: | Poultry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2674-1164/2/2/18 |
| _version_ | 1797592949165391872 |
|---|---|
| author | Benjamin N. Alig Ramon D. Malheiros Kenneth E. Anderson |
| author_facet | Benjamin N. Alig Ramon D. Malheiros Kenneth E. Anderson |
| author_sort | Benjamin N. Alig |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Currently, the egg industry is experiencing a shift in demand for eggs from cage-free environments. This study aims to evaluate the egg quality parameters of white eggs laid in several different housing environments utilized in the industry. Egg quality parameters from battery cages, barren colony cages, enriched colony cages and cage-free pens were compared. Overall, most egg quality parameters were found to be different across housing environments. Battery cages produced the heaviest eggs and eggs with the highest Haugh unit (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Cage-free hens produced eggs with the darkest yolks, lowest Haugh units, strongest shells and highest solids percentage compared to other environments (<i>p</i> < 0.05). This study did not detect differences between any housing environment in shell color, shell elasticity, vitelline membrane strength or vitelline membrane elasticity (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Moreover, this study did not detect any differences in egg quality parameters between enriched and barren colony cages (<i>p</i> > 0.05). It appears that white egg-laying hens had superior egg quality performance in caged environments and that cage-free pens only improved yolk color. Furthermore, it appears that simply adding enrichments to cages does not affect any egg quality parameters. From the results of our study, we believe that current intensive environments, such as cages, are the most beneficial for white egg layer egg quality and that as the industry moves toward cage-free, new strategies will need to be developed to preserve egg quality. More research is needed, particularly evaluating free-range environments. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:00:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f03298c0f4794c40bd2c4ed9ecb86f97 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2674-1164 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:00:30Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Poultry |
| spelling | doaj.art-f03298c0f4794c40bd2c4ed9ecb86f972023-11-18T12:14:31ZengMDPI AGPoultry2674-11642023-04-012222223410.3390/poultry2020018The Effect of Housing Environment on Physical Egg Quality of White Egg LayersBenjamin N. Alig0Ramon D. Malheiros1Kenneth E. Anderson2Prestage Department of Poultry Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USAPrestage Department of Poultry Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USAPrestage Department of Poultry Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USACurrently, the egg industry is experiencing a shift in demand for eggs from cage-free environments. This study aims to evaluate the egg quality parameters of white eggs laid in several different housing environments utilized in the industry. Egg quality parameters from battery cages, barren colony cages, enriched colony cages and cage-free pens were compared. Overall, most egg quality parameters were found to be different across housing environments. Battery cages produced the heaviest eggs and eggs with the highest Haugh unit (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Cage-free hens produced eggs with the darkest yolks, lowest Haugh units, strongest shells and highest solids percentage compared to other environments (<i>p</i> < 0.05). This study did not detect differences between any housing environment in shell color, shell elasticity, vitelline membrane strength or vitelline membrane elasticity (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Moreover, this study did not detect any differences in egg quality parameters between enriched and barren colony cages (<i>p</i> > 0.05). It appears that white egg-laying hens had superior egg quality performance in caged environments and that cage-free pens only improved yolk color. Furthermore, it appears that simply adding enrichments to cages does not affect any egg quality parameters. From the results of our study, we believe that current intensive environments, such as cages, are the most beneficial for white egg layer egg quality and that as the industry moves toward cage-free, new strategies will need to be developed to preserve egg quality. More research is needed, particularly evaluating free-range environments.https://www.mdpi.com/2674-1164/2/2/18egg qualityhaugh unithousing environmentcage-freecolony cagesyolk color |
| spellingShingle | Benjamin N. Alig Ramon D. Malheiros Kenneth E. Anderson The Effect of Housing Environment on Physical Egg Quality of White Egg Layers Poultry egg quality haugh unit housing environment cage-free colony cages yolk color |
| title | The Effect of Housing Environment on Physical Egg Quality of White Egg Layers |
| title_full | The Effect of Housing Environment on Physical Egg Quality of White Egg Layers |
| title_fullStr | The Effect of Housing Environment on Physical Egg Quality of White Egg Layers |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Effect of Housing Environment on Physical Egg Quality of White Egg Layers |
| title_short | The Effect of Housing Environment on Physical Egg Quality of White Egg Layers |
| title_sort | effect of housing environment on physical egg quality of white egg layers |
| topic | egg quality haugh unit housing environment cage-free colony cages yolk color |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2674-1164/2/2/18 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT benjaminnalig theeffectofhousingenvironmentonphysicaleggqualityofwhiteegglayers AT ramondmalheiros theeffectofhousingenvironmentonphysicaleggqualityofwhiteegglayers AT kennetheanderson theeffectofhousingenvironmentonphysicaleggqualityofwhiteegglayers AT benjaminnalig effectofhousingenvironmentonphysicaleggqualityofwhiteegglayers AT ramondmalheiros effectofhousingenvironmentonphysicaleggqualityofwhiteegglayers AT kennetheanderson effectofhousingenvironmentonphysicaleggqualityofwhiteegglayers |