Table 2.
Hy-line breeder nest box use at 41, 47, and 53 wk of age1
| Age, weeks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test variables | 41 | 47 | 53 | LSD2 |
| Percentage of nest eggs, % | 36.8 ± 2.1b | 44.8 ± 2.1a | 50.6 ± 4.6a | 1.8 |
| Percentage of hens in nests, % | 23.3 ± 1.2b | 32.8 ± 1.2a | 36.7 ± 1.4a | 2.5 |
| Percentage of rooster in nests, % | 19.2 ± 1.3b | 20.0 ± 1.2a | 20.8 ± 1.5a | NS3 |
| Ratio of nest visits to nest eggs4 | 6.9 ± 2.6b | 7.8 ± 2.2ab | 8.5 ± 2.6a | 2.2 |
| Number of nest visits of hens per cage | 201.7 ± 11.3c | 280.2 ± 15.6b | 341.1 ± 17.2a | 6.1 |
| Number of nest visits of roosters per cage | 15.8 ± 2.4 | 12.7 ± 2.3 | 14.6 ± 2.3 | NS |
| Number of sitting events per cage | 112.5 ± 9.6b | 183.4 ± 10.3a | 178.0 ± 10.8a | 5.2 |
| Duration of laying per hen, min | 53.4 ± 10.6 | 52.8 ± 10.3 | 51.5 ± 12.4 | NS |
| Duration of without laying per hen, min | 32.3 ±11.2 | 36.4 ± 13.2 | 33.6 ± 12.8 | NS |
| Duration of exploring nests per hen, min | 19.6 ± 5.9 | 16.2 ± 4.1 | 17.3 ± 3.3 | NS |
| Duration of staying in nests per rooster, min | 9.6 ± 2.1 | 7.2 ± 1.4 | 8.1 ± 1.5 | NS |
1Nests were provided at 37 wk of age.The mean values per day and per 5-h observations are presented (12 cages for each group, 10 roosters and 90 hens per cage). Values shown are means ± SE.
2LSD = least significant difference.
3NS = not significant in analysis of variance.
4Ratio of nest visits to nest eggs: the number of visits required to produce an egg.
a–cMeans within a column with no common superscript letter are significantly different (P < 0.05).