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Synopsis
Laying WLH pullets were housed individually in cages with floor areas of either 930 cm2 (group 1) or 3700 cm2 (group 2). Half the birds from each group were killed after 35 d confinement and the other half on the 70th d. Balance studies were conducted from 25th to 35th d and from 60th to 70th d.
The more severely confined birds had depressed plasma alkaline phosphatase activity but a raised plasma cholesterol level after 35 d. The alkaline phosphatase activity returned to normal after 70 d but the hypercholesterolaemia persisted. Acid phosphatase activity and plasma protein levels were unaffected by the treatments.
Pullets in the smaller cages laid fewer eggs but egg weight was unaffected.
Neither percentage metabolisable energy nor metabolisable nitrogen of the diet was affected by the severity of confinement, though less dietary nitrogen was retained by either group in the first half of the confinement period.
Severe confinement resulted in higher values of percentage metabolisable calcium and phosphorus by the 35th d but these decreased by the 70th d. In the less severely confined birds these values by the 70th d were higher than those at the 35th d.