CONTRIBUTIONS TO KNOWLEDGE OF CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF EGGS LAID BY HENS REARED IN LOFT

C. Spridon, Paula Viorela Druc, Carmen Gavrilescu, M.G. Usturoi

Abstract
    Establishment of chemical composition for albumen, yolk and mineral shell was realised on eggs gathered at four different ages (20, 31, 40 and 60 weeks) from birds belonging to ISA Brown hen hybrid, reared in two systems: battery and respectively loft; both birds’ batches having the same maintenance and feeding conditions. The obtained results shown the fact that regarding chemical composition of yolk and albumen weren’t significant differences between those two batches. However, in case of eggs laid by hens exploited in loft were founded higher levels for content in dry matter of yolk (9.08 g vs. 8.99 g for eggs from battery) and albumen (4.18 g vs. 4.16 g), but also for proteins from yolk (2.69 g vs. 2.65 g) and from albumen (3.48 g vs. 3.46 g). Mineral substances from shell of eggs laid by birds reared in loft were founded into a quantity of 6.94 g, and at the eggs gathered from battery was 6.73 g, hence the significant differences between batches. In conclusion, we can say that loft rearing system allow to obtain eggs with a better chemical content face to rearing in battery.

Key words: loft, hens, eggs, chemical composition