Golden, 2012 – A comparative examination of rearing parameters and layer production performance for brown egg-type pullets grown for either free-range or cage production.

Within the last 10 yr, the US egg industry has grown significantly in the use of alternative systems of cage-free and free-range egg production to satisfy consumer demands. Despite the increasing popularity among consumers of alternative management methods, very few studies have been conducted in the United States with the objective of comparing rearing parameters and production performance in alternative systems with those of conventional caged housing. Present knowledge regarding pullet growth records and how alternative production methods influence egg productivity and egg quality is severely limited or is based on research conducted in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Thus, it is imperative that pullet-rearing parameters of current strains, as well as their egg production performance, be assessed in alternative management systems, such as a free-range environment, and that they be compared with those of birds in a traditional caged environment. On the basis of the egg production performance measured in this study, caged hens had better overall egg production and quality characteristics compared with free-range hens, including improved FCR, daily egg masses, production of hen-housed and hen-day eggs, and production of grade A eggs; greater Haugh unit ratings; and decreased mortality rates.