Effects of large or small furnished cages on performance, welfare and egg quality of laying hens

The study investigated the effects of large or small furnished cages on laying hens. Hyline brown hens (n = 360) were placed into three treatments with six replicates: large furnished cages (LFC), small furnished cages (SFC), and conventional cages (CC). The results showed that egg production of hens in the LFC treatment was significantly lower (P < 0.05) than that in SFC and CC groups. Daily feed intake, feed:egg ratio, egg weight, and proportion of broken eggs and dirty eggs were not affected by cage types. However, Haugh unit and albumen height of the eggs from LFC and SFC hens were significantly higher (P < 0.01) than those from the CC hens. Welfare indicators (feather conditions, gait score, and fluctuating asymmetry of tibia length or wing length) in LFC and SFC hens were much better than in CC hens (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the hens in the LFC treatment had lower productivity, higher egg quality and better welfare conditions than those in the SFC and CC treatments.