Evaluation of the historical performance of Lohmann Brown-Classic laying hens maintained on a conventional cage system in Colombia
Description
This repository contains the supplementary files of the article: E.H. Cabezas-Garcia, D.E. Rodríguez-Aguilar, L.L. Betancourt López. 2024. ‘Evaluation of the historical performance of Lohmann Brown-Classic laying hens maintained on a conventional cage system in Colombia’ to be submitted to the journal Animal - Open Space. This study is a statistical re-assessment which was conducted to examine historical trends (from 2003 to 2015) of layers’ performance and feed efficiency of Lohmann Brown-Classic flocks offered commercial feeds on a conventional cage system located at the Marengo farm in Mosquera, Colombia (4º40՛55՛՛ N, 74º13՛05՛՛ W; 2 541 meters above the sea level). Of the 22 flocks initially available in the dataset, nine were chosen for statistical analyses purposes. Data was split into three ‘generations' (G1, G2, and G3) with three flocks (F1, F2, and F3) in each of those. Feed intake (g/hen per day), laying rate (%/hen per day), and feed conversion ratio (feed kg: dozen eggs) were analyzed by a repeated measures model with generation and weeks of age as fixed factors, and flock within generation as random. Egg production curves were modeled for each individual flock using Grossman et al., (2000) non-linear regression. Observed layer’s performance was compared between generations as well as for modeled Grossman et al., (2000) curve parameters which were also evaluated against ‘ideal’ egg production trajectories resulted from modeling tabulated data presented in their contemporary Lohmann Brown-Classic guides. Raw data and calculated performance variables of layers has been uploaded as a txt file (DATA_Repository.txt) including description of labels in full (22 columns and 469 rows). A supplementary Figure (Fig_S1.pdf) is also included showing one-by-one the observed laying rate datapoints as well as modeled curves for each of the chosen nine individual flocks within each generation and their contemporary strain guides (non-linear regressions in Table 3 of the main manuscript). Details of the referred supplementary figure are provided in the METADATA.docx file.