Comparison of Changes in the Plumage and Body Condition, Egg Production, and Mortality of Different Non-Beak-Trimmed Pure Line Laying Hens during the Egg-Laying Period

Abstract

The experiment was carried out with altogether 1740 non-beak-trimmed laying hens, which originated from Bábolna TETRA Ltd., representing two different types (Rhode Island Red (RIR) and Rhode Island White (RIW)) and four different lines (Lines 1–2: RIR, Lines 3–4: RIW). The plumage and body condition of randomly selected 120 hens (30 hens/line) was examined at 20, 46, and 62 weeks of age. The egg production and the mortality of the sampled hens were recorded daily. Based on the results, it was established that the lines differ clearly in most of the examined traits. It was also pointed out that injurious pecking of the hens resulted not only in damages in the plumage but also in the body condition. The results obviously demonstrated that the highest egg production and the lowest mortality rate were reached by those hens, which had the best plumage and body condition. Because the occurrence of injurious pecking seems to depend on the genetic background, selection of the hens (lines, families, individuals) for calm temperament will be very important in the future in order to maintain the high production level in non-beak-trimmed layer flocks.