LOHMANN INFORMATION
The Rondeel™ – a new housing design for laying hens
Introduction In 2003/4 a project was initiated and financed by the Dutch agricultural ministry to develop new housing systems for laying hens that would be sustainable and acceptable by the public. The leading issue in the process of developing new housing designs was animal welfare and not directly cost reduction. The project resulted in two […]
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Poultry Feed from Genetically Modified Plants
Summary The growing World population and limited natural resources require a more efficient utilization and conversion of resources in available phytogenic biomass. In the future there will be a very strong competition for arable land or phytogenic biomass resp. between food/feed, fuel, fibre and further industrial materials as well as areas for settlements and natural […]
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The Challenges of Management for Today’s High Performing Laying Hens
Summary Hatchability is of considerable economic importance for all hatcheries and therefore must be given appropriate attention in breeding programs for commercial layers. The variability between and within strains will tell us whether reproductive performance can be improved by selection within specific lines. The aim of this study was to analyse the genetic variation of […]
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Waterfowl Production for Food Security
Summary The production of waterfowl can contribute to the improvement of the nutritional standards of the human population. Feed for waterfowl is not commonly used for human consumption and there is no strong competition between waterfowl and human nutrition. In comparison with chickens, ducks and geese play a minor role in production of meat and […]
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Recommendations for energy and nutrients of layers: a critical review
Summary The above review of current recommendations for optimal layer nutrition leads to the following conclusions and demands for future research: – The change from conventional cages to barn and free range management requires reliable estimates of additional energy needs for exercise, degree of feather cover and deviations from thermo-neutral temperature. – Differences between hens […]
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Housing and Husbandry of Laying Hens: past, present and future
This review briefly traces the origins of the domestic fowl and its spread throughout the world. It goes on to consider important historic, traditional, conventional and modern developments in the housing and husbandry of laying hens. These periodic terms are used according to the definition of Gordon and Charles (2002) i.e. historic: pre 1914, traditional: […]
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The Changing Global Egg Industry
Summary Hatchability is of considerable economic importance for all hatcheries and therefore must be given appropriate attention in breeding programs for commercial layers. The variability between and within strains will tell us whether reproductive performance can be improved by selection within specific lines. The aim of this study was to analyse the genetic variation of […]
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