MVSc

An experiment was designed to study the influence of housing system on protein and energy requirements of strain cross White Leghorn chicken (ILM-90) from one day old to seventy two weeks of age.

Seven hundred and twenty, one-day old female chicks of ILM-90 (IWN x IWP) of the mannuthy centre of All India Co-ordinated Research Project on poultry for eggs, were randomly divided in to two groups of 360 chicks each, one group for floor and other for cage experiment. They were randomly allotted to 12 dietary protein energy combination groups with each treatment having three replicates and each replicate having ten chicks in both housing systems.

The observation monitored during the starter and grower phases were weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion efficiency and mortality. During layer phase individual body weights were recorded at 20, 40, 60 and 72 weeks of age. Hen-day egg production, daily feed intake per bird, feed per dozen eggs, egg quality traits such as egg weight, shell thickness, albumin index, yolk index and Haugh unit were recorded for each 28-day period. Cost of feeding per bird was also calculated. Abdominal fat and liver lipid were also estimated at the end of the experiment. Results showed that eighth week body weight gain were influenced by housing systems and protein levels but not by energy levels. Birds reared in cages and also those fed with 20 per cent protein diet showed significantly higher (P<0.05) body weight gain. Feed intake per bird and cost of feeding were influenced only by dietary protein levels. Significantly higher (P<0.01) feed intake was observed with diet containing 18 per cent protein. Considering the overall performance, a dietary protein level of 20 per cent with an energy level of 2300 Kcal ME/Kg was found to be optimum during starter phase for commercial egg type pullet chicks reared in cages as well as on deep litter system.

Body weight at 20th week of age was significantly influenced by housing systems and dietary protein levels, whereas body weight gain was influenced by protein levels only. Feed intake per bird and cost of feeding were influenced only by housing systems. Feed conversion efficiency was significantly influenced by housing systems and dietary energy levels. Birds reared in cages and those fed with 2700 Kcal ME/Kg diet showed better feed efficiency. A dietary protein level of 14 per cent and energy level of 2300 Kcal ME/Kg was found to be optimum for egg type pullets during grower phase, irrespective of the housing systems.


Age at first egg was significantly influenced by housing systems only. Caged birds laid first egg significantly earlier (P<0.01). Birds reared in cages produced significantly (p<0.01) more number of eggs than those on floor. Daily feed intake per bird and cost of feeding were not influenced by either housing systems or dietary protein and energy levels. Feed conversion efficiency was influenced by housing systems as well as dietary protein and energy levels. Significantly (p<0.01) superior feed conversion efficiency was observed with cage system of housing, 20 per cent dietary protein level and dietary energy level of 2500 and 2700 Kcal ME/Kg. Egg weight was influenced by housing systems and dietary protein levels and not by energy levels. Liver lipid values were significantly influenced by housing systems and as well as dietary protein and energy levels employed whereas, abdominal fat content was not influenced by the any of these. Considering the different traits monitored during layer phase, it was seen that a dietary crude protein content of 16 per cent with an energy level of 2300 Kcal ME/Kg diet was found to be optimum for commercial egg type strain cross layers.