The influence of limestone particle size on egg shell quality off eggs produced by semi heavy laying hens raised in floor

Abstract

The objective was to evaluate the influence of different particle size of limestone, used in the nutrition of laying hens raised in bed system, on weight and egg shell quality. 360 eggs were harvested from laying hens, whose were fed with three different particle sizes of limestone: thick (particles of 2 mm), thin (particles of 0.82 mm) and the mixture of the two (50% thick and 50% thin). The parameters used for evaluating the quality of the eggs were egg weight, percentage and thickness of the shell. The results showed that the use of limestone with thick grain size affected (P<0.05) egg weight due to the increase of percentage of the shell. Concluding that the particle size of 2 mm of limestone in the diet improved the shell quality of eggs produced by laying hens created on the floor with 36-52 weeks of age.

Keywords

• espessura da casca
• nutrição das aves