Características do ambiente dos aviários, desempenho e qualidade dos ovos de galinhas mantidas em diferentes densidades.

Abstract

The objective of this research was to evaluate the environmental and behavioral characteristics, performance and egg quality of laying hens raised in confinement with different housing densities. The birds were reared in the confinement system, in houses with different densities (house 1 with 6.80 birds m-2 and house 2 with 7.35 birds m-2), with a completely randomized design. Regarding the results, the average temperature values (27.4 °C) in the aviary 1 were higher in relation to the aviary 2 (26.1 °C), with a peak temperature at 1 pm, an average of 31 °C for aviary 1 and 29 °C in aviary 2. Higher CO2 and noise levels in aviary 1. The live weight of the birds (P=0.008) was lower in the birds of the aviary with lower density, as well as the total egg production (P=0.003). In aviary 2, even with higher density and lower temperature, the animals gained more weight and consumed less feed. Aviary with density of 7.35 birds m-2 presented air temperature in the range of the thermal comfort zone for the species. Bed, water and nest temperatures are more suitable in the aviary with lower density. With the increase in density, litter and nest temperatures increased by around 1 °C and that of water by 3 °C, decreasing water consumption.