Commercial layers

Question 1

Layer production systems

Answer 1

Better classified as ‘caged’ or ‘alternative’ housing/production systems

Numerous types of ‘alternative’ housing/systems - Free Range, Barn, Multi-tiered Free Range or Barn, Percheries

Common for farms to be multi aged with several different production systems on site
- Allows all year round production
- Allows different egg types to be produced

Multi age sites are more difficult to keep disease free and once disease introduced, its harder to eliminate without total depopulation

Various accreditation systems in place, BEIC (British Egg …) Lion code, organic, Freedom Foods

Question 2

Caged systems for layers

Answer 2

EU banned traditional cages as of 2012

Likely ban of colony cages by 2025, many countries have already banned them

Traditionally have a poor reputation based on the ‘aesthetics’ of the system

Various types of housing all controlled environment
May have a ‘deep pit’ manure system (lots of problems with vermin and flies) or belt cleaning with removal of manure to external store

Question 3

Module cages with manure belts

Answer 3

Manure belt run on a daily basis to remove manure from the house, dont see these type of cages in Europe now except in some of the genetics programs

Question 4

Enriched production systems

Answer 4

Alternative to traditional cages

Remove the birds from the faeces

Designed to satisfy the ‘Five Freedoms’

Wired floor at a slight slant so eggs can roll onto belt

Scratching areas for dust baths etc, to help enable some normal behaviour

Have a perch

Colonies of circa 80 birds with dedicated scratching and nesting areas

A new set of health and welfare issues likely to arise
□ Colony size increased- spread of disease agents likely to be affected
□ More exposure to faecal material due to design, increased risk of coccidiosis
□ Pecking increase, again due to colony size

Large investment required, only economically viable if large bird numbers held in one airspace and one location (100+k birds per house, 1m birds per site)
§ Colony size tends to be large, circa 100k birds per air space
§ Generally few health and welfare issues, leg weakness at end of lay, feather loss around neck.
§ Leg weakness mainly an issue during catching when flocks depleted.

Question 5

Alternative housing systems

Answer 5

Many and varied

Two fundamental differences cf caged systems
§ Birds are in contact with faecal material to a greater or lesser extent
§ Most systems allow access to the outside environment

Environmental control difficult or impossible

Question 6

The three main housing systems of poultry

Answer 6

Cage

Aviary

Floor