Table 3.
Effects of two housing systems on morphological parameters of the intestine in hens from 32 to 40 weeks of age.
| Intestinal Parts | Item 1 | Housing System 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NRS | LRS | ||
| Duodenum | VH | 1203.82 ± 157.49 a | 955.45 ± 164.07 b |
| CD | 129.13 ± 14.92 | 111.61 ± 18.18 | |
| VCR | 9.29 ± 1.85 | 8.55 ± 1.63 | |
| Jejunum | VH | 1016.03 ± 148.67 a | 796.52 ± 122.01 b |
| CD | 96.94 ± 10.21 | 97.03 ± 10.89 | |
| VCR | 11.05 ± 1.14 a | 8.61 ± 1.55 b | |
| Ileum | VH | 618.88 ± 34.53 a | 360.35 ± 21.60 b |
| CD | 102.03 ± 9.32 | 104.15 ± 9.15 | |
| VCR | 6.02 ± 0.93 a | 3.71 ± 0.52 b | |
| Caecum | VH | 605.80 ± 41.10 | 572.49 ± 31.90 |
| CD | 101.83 ± 12.57 | 124.51 ± 13.04 | |
| VCR | 5.95 ± 0.79 a | 4.57 ± 0.67 b | |
1 VH, villus height; CD, crypt depth; VCR, villus height to crypt depth ratio; 2 NRS, plastic-net housing system; LRS, floor-litter housing system; a,b. Means with different superscripts within each row are significantly different (p < 0.05).