INFLUENCE OF NEST PAD COLOR ON NEST PREFERENCE, PERCENTAGE OF FLOOR EGGS, AND EGG-PRODUCTION OF BROILER BREEDER HENS

Conventional brown AstroTurf(R) nest pads were compared with black, gr een, and gray AstroTurf(R) nest pads in paired preference tests. Broil er breeder hens were offered a choice between brown and one of the oth er three colors within a single pen, and eggs laid per week per nest h ole were counted. Hens significantly preferred gray over brown, and th is preference persisted even when the pad color arrangement was revers ed at 49 wk of age. No discrimination between the other colors and bro wn was found, and reversing the color scheme had no effect on nest pos ition selection. A second study was conducted in which hens were allow ed to lay in nests equipped either with brown or gray nest pads. The h ens exposed only to gray nest pads laid significantly fewer floor eggs between 25 and 40 wk of age. The birds laying on gray AstroTurf(R) ne st pads also exhibited significantly improved egg production and feed conversion.