Tackling the future challenges of Organic Animal Husbandry - vTI

! Agriculture and Forestry Research, Special Issue No 362 (Braunschweig, 2012) ISSN 0376-0723
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Abstract
164
A comparison of egg quality from hens reared under
organic and commercial systems
SARDAR YASEEN TAHA
College of Agriculture, University of Salahaddin, Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq.
e-mail: sardaryt2006@yahoo.com, ya_kargery@yahoo.com
Two flocks of ISA Brown were reared at Heibrucks Poultry Ranch, Michigan, USA. The first flock
(98000 birds) reared under organic, aviary production system, while the second flock (22000 birds)
reared under conventional 3- tier cages. A total of 240 eggs were randomly obtained on August 9,
2011from hens of 48-wk old were analyzed. The purpose of this investigation was to compare organic
and conventional production systems. Similar feed composition (14.6 % CP, 2800 kcal ME / kg
feed, 3.95 % Ca and 0.37 % available P) were provided for hens in both systems. Proximate analyses,
egg quality as well as the fatty acids and amino acids profiles of eggs were analyzed. Result of
proximate analysis revealed that eggs produced under organic system had significantly (P < 0.05)
more ash (1.93 vs. 1.74 %) and less fat (13.88 vs. 11.95 %). Storing eggs for 7 days decreased crude
protein significantly (P < 0.05) from 31.18 to 28.95%, but did not influence crude fat and ash%.
Moreover, eggs produced under organic system had significantly (P < 0.05) lower yolk weight
(17.45 vs. 19.13 gm) and yolk percent (29.36 vs. 31.41 %), but higher albumin percent (59.48 vs.
58.29 %), yolk color (8.15 vs. 6.98), Haugh unit (81.87 vs. 77.79), and yolk index (0.47 vs. 0.45).
Results also showed that eggs produced under organic system had significantly (P < 0.05) lower
amino acids Proline (1.17 vs. 1.28%), Hydroxylysine (0.010 vs. 0.005 %) and Ornithine (0.001 vs.
0.005 %). Fatty acids profile showed that organic eggs had significantly better percentages of total
polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), (28.19 vs. 19.56), total Omega-3 (2.37 vs. 1.88) and total
Omega-6 (25.82 vs. 17.78).
Key words: Aviary organic egg, conventional cages. egg quality
Introduction
Nowadays organic egg is a term mostly used in many countries. The system producing such commodity
called as "organic", "free range" or "cage-free" system. Today’s consumers have an increased
desire for food produced in range. Eggs coming from the range have an improved nutritional
value (Long and Newbury, 2008). Poultry products marketed as free-range still command a premium
price due to consumer perceptions of a production method that is more conducive to animal welfare.
In Kurdistan, Iraq the free range chickens are reared since long time ago. Such system allows
birds to have free space for movement and fulfill most of their natural behaviors. So to enhance
such system of poultry production to contribute in self-sufficiency of organic eggs is a vital issue.
The aim of this study is to compare the nutritive value of organic vs. conventional eggs quality,
amino acids and fat profiles.
Material and methodology
This experiment was carried out in two flocks of ISA Brown at Heibrucks Poultry Ranch, Saranac,
Michigan, USA. The first flock (98000 birds) reared under organic, Aviary production system (A
steel structure with manure belt, the feed, water, nests and perches located on flat slated floor with
stocking density of total 1216 cm 2 of floor space per bird). While the second flock (22000 birds)