ABSTRACT
The experiment was carried out in the poultry sector / UFRRJ, using 348 semi-heavy hens (Dekalb Brown line), 52 weeks old, raised under two cage-free production systems and cages. The data obtained by the physical-chemical and microbiological analysis of the eggs and the bone resistance to the break were submitted to analysis of variance, in case of effects of the different production systems, the Tukey's test was applied at 5% of probability for comparison of the means. The physical-chemical quality was also favored by the two production systems, indicating that the experimental circumstances provided adequate conditions for the formation of good quality eggs. The cage system did not disfavor the bony characteristics of the hens, indicating that at suitable densities, the cage may not exert a detrimental factor to bone quality. The cage-free production system worsened shell contamination by proving that nesting eggs are more contaminated compared to those produced in cages.
Keywords:
microbiology of shell; egg quality; bone strength