Comparison in the quality of eggs obtained in an outdoor pen production system and those produced in a cage system

Abstract

Mexico is the main consumer of eggs worldwide with more than 23.22 kg of egg per capita per year. In recent years, production systems have diversified with the introduction of systems that promote animal welfare. The present study was carried out with the aim of comparing the quality of eggs produced in an outdoor pen system against those of a semitechnified cage system. The internal and external physical characteristics of the eggs were evaluated at 3 and 15 d after laying. The results of the present study showed that the egg produced in an outdoor pen system has less cleanliness (P<0.001), and lower quality (P<0.005) than eggs produced in the cage system, according to the classification of the Mexican Standard of “Poultry Products -fresh chicken egg- specifications and test methods” (NMX-FF-127-SCFI-2016). Finally, the storage time significantly decreased the quality of the egg produced in the outdoor pen system (P<0.001), but not that of the eggs from the conventional cage system. In conclusion, under the conditions of the present work, the quality of the egg from conventional systems is better than that of the egg produced in outdoor pen systems, especially after 15 d of storage. These results suggest that more studies are needed to evaluate the effects of management practices, preventive medicine and the environmental conditions of cage-free systems on animal health and final egg quality.