본 연구는 케이지와 평사 사육환경이 산란종계의 생산성에 미치는 영향을 알아보고자 실시하였다. 케 이지 또는 평사 사육환경을 제외한 모든 환경 조건은 동일한 산란종계 무창 계사를 선정하여 진행하였 다. 총 48주간 산란 종계의 산란율, 폐사율, 수정율 및 부화율을 측정하였다. 산란초기 산란율은 케이 지 사육 환경에서 높았으나, 전 구간을 보았을 때 37주 이후부터는 평사 사육이 월등히 높게 나타났다. 폐사율은 암컷 종계의 누적 폐사율에는 유의한 차이가 없었지만, 수컷의 폐사율은 케이지 사육환경에서 유의적으로 높게 조사되었다. 수정율은 전 구간 평사 사육이 월등히 높게 나타났다. 부화율에서도 평사 사육이 케이지 사육보다 높게 나타났다. 본 연구결과 평사 사육방식이 케이지 사육방법보다 산란종계의 수정율, 부화율 및 폐사율에서 우수한 것으로 조사되었다.
The present experiment was carried out to investigate whether either cage or floor housing system could influence laying performance such as egg laying production, mortality, fertility and viable female chicks hatched in laying hen parent stocks (PS). For this study, PS farms were selected with identical farm managements except for the rearing system. All PS were supplied same feed and raised in windowless houses. During 21 to 69 weeks of egg production, laying performance was monitored at 4-week interval and settable eggs selected were incubated. Egg production at 25 to 37 weeks was superior (p<0.05) in PS raised in cage vs. floor housing system, but egg production at 37 to 69 weeks being higher (p<0.05) in those raised in floor vs. cage housing system. Mortality rate was higher (p<0.05) in male PS raised in cage compared with those raised on floor. However, mortality of female PS was not affected (p>0.05) by rearing types. Fertility rate during laying period was kept higher (p<0.05) in floor-raised PS compared with those raised in cage housing system. Of note, viable day-old female chicks hatched were also higher (p<0.05) in PS raised in floor vs. cage system. It is concluded that PS reared on floor system performed better than those raised in cage housing system. As far as we know, this is the first report to comparatively provide the laying and reproductive performance of laying hen parent stock raised on cage and floor housing systems.