New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts

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A body condition scoring system for layer hens

N. G. GREGORY^*
J. K. ROBINS

Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health
Massey University
Private Bag 11222
Palmerston North, New Zealand

^*Present address: MIRINZ, P.O. Box 617, Hamilton, New Zealand

Abstract  The body condition of end-of-lay hens was scored into four categories by palpating the keel and breast muscles. They were then killed with an overdose of pentobarbitone and physically dissected into fat, muscle, and bone. As the condition score increased, empty body weight, fat weight, muscle weight, and fat % in the empty body increased. Birds with the lowest condition score had particularly poorly developed breast muscles. This body condition scoring method can be a useful subjective way of assessing a bird's body reserves.

Keywords  chicken; body condition score; body composition; fatness; emaciation

New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 1998, Vol. 41: 555-559

0028-8233/98/4104-0555 $7.00/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand 1998

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (378K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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