Time study examining the effect of range, cage-free, and cage environments on man-hours committed to bird care in 3 brown egg layer strains

Abstract

Growing consumer awareness concerning layer hen welfare has caused the egg industry to consider alternative environments for egg-laying hens. However, the time commitment for alternative care has not been researched in detail since the 1950s. In 2 experiments, we evaluated the man-hour commitment associated with 3 different environments, including range (R), cage-free (CF), and cage systems (C). Concurrently within the R and CF systems, 3 strains of birds, Hy-Line Silver Brown, Hy-Line Brown, and Barred Plymouth Rock, were examined to see if strain differences were associated with man-hours associated for care. All birds were raised within the environment they were going to be laying in at 17 wk of age, the time data collection started. The system study was a 3-factor randomized design that commenced at 17 wk, when the laying phase commenced with 8 R replicates, 24 CF replicates, and 4 C replicates. The strain study consisted of R and CF systems and 3 strains of Hy-Line Brown, Hy-Line Silver Brown, and Barred Plymouth Rock. All husbandry was provided as appropriate to the production system and in accordance with the approved animal care procedures. Time was recorded for all of the procedures done within the replicates (i.e., egg collection, feeding, and so on). The data were transformed first by man-hours per bird housed and second by man-hours per bird surviving. All time data were analyzed using PROC GLM in SAS. Man-hours per hen decreased from 17 to 37 wk in all production systems. The production environment C required only 0.334 h/hen housed, which is lower as compared with either the CF at 0.486 h/hen housed or R at 1.268 h/hen housed. Strain alone did not influence man-hours; however, the strain with the poorest livability had the greatest man-hour requirement for hens surviving. This study substantiates previous findings that moving from intensive to extensive production systems will increase man-hours per hen by 3 or 4 times. © 2014 Poultry Science Association, Inc.