Efeitos de sistemas de criação e do ambiente sobre o desempenho e qualidade dos ovos de galinhas poedeiras.

Abstract

The general objective of this research was to evaluate the welfare of laying hens in two different systems: Enriched Cage (EC) and Alternative System (AS) and the quality of these systems in relation of behavioral, physiological and productive aspects. The experiment was conducted in a climatic chamber of LaCRA - Laboratory of Rural Constructions and Ambience, in the Federal University of Campina Grande - Paraíba State, Brazil. The research consisted of three experimental periods of 28 days each one. It was used 72 birds of lineage Dekalb White at 27 weeks of age. The light regime was set at 16 hours light and 8 hours of darkness. The experimental design was completely randomized in 2x3 factorial (two creation systems and three environmental conditions: 20 °C, 26 °C and 32 °C) with six replicates and relative humidity of 60%. This research analyzed different parameters: production; physiological aspects; zootechnical performance; egg quality and thermography. Processing techniques and image analysis may come to contribute to the search for information contained in images of confined animais. Both creation systems used in this study showed no large differences in the variables analyzed. Both systems may be compatible in performance and quality of eggs produced.