Quality of eggs in organic and conventional production system

Abstract: The search for productivity in the laying poultry resulted in the adoption of technologies that increased the production results and maximized the contribution margins. However, the production model in cages, currently predominant in the posture of poultry, it has been contested by the market, especially with regard to the non provision of minimum conditions of well-being, which has pushed many countries to develop legal devices to oblige the producers to adopt alternative models of rearing laying. At the same time, productivity and quality of systems eggs that recomend animal welfare are still questioned. In this sense the objective of this study was to compare the external quality of eggs from a layer farm with alternative system of poultry (organic ) and a farm with conventional system of rearing laying. Egg production of the two farming systems was accompanied on the records of each of the farms for four months. The analysis of the egg shell quality was carried out using samples of 60 eggs for each of the two production systems every 30 days. The results were monitored for four months in the two farming systems and compared with what is indicated in the line of management manual for each age. The conventional system showed a better external egg quality, the weight and egg shell strength, however for peel strength, the values ​​of both systems were lower than the references.