SUBSTITUTION OF SORGHUM FOR WHEAT IN DIETS FOR LAYING HENS

1982 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 305-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. E. GARDINER ◽  
D. J. MAJOR ◽  
S. DUBETZ

The effects of substituting various levels of sorghum for wheat in diets for laying hens were studied. Egg production, egg weight, feed consumption, body weight and hatchability of eggs from Single Comb White Leghorn hens were not affected by the proportion of sorghum in the diet. Key words: Sorghum, wheat, nutrition, egg production


1982 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 887-897 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. A. CAVE ◽  
R. M. G. HAMILTON

Two experiments with nine strains of Single Comb White Leghorn hens were conducted to compare laying house performance of hens given a diet of uniform protein content or a phase-feeding diet in which protein content was reduced from 156 to 148 and then to 140 g/kg at 273 and 414, or 273 and 384 days of age. Performance criteria were egg production, feed and protein intake, egg, quality, egg weight, mortality and body weight. Phase-feeding allowed reductions of 4.2 and 4.3% in protein consumption without reducing egg production, mortality or, except in one strain, body weight. There was an increase of 0.5% in feed consumption, but feed cost was reduced by 1.3%. Phase-feeding increased Haugh units by 0.3% and decreased specific gravity of eggs in one experiment, decreased percent visibly-cracked eggs in the other experiment and had no effect on percent blood spots. Depending on strain, phase-feeding had a variable effect on egg weight in exp. 1 but had no effect in the second experiment. Key words: Phase-feeding, protein utilization, egg production, hen



1988 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 1261-1266 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. L. CLASSEN ◽  
G. L. CAMPBELL ◽  
B. G. ROSSNAGEL ◽  
R. S. BHATTY

Hulless barley (var. Scout) was evaluated as a potential feedstuff for laying hens in two experiments. In exp. 1 hulless barley was substituted for wheat at four dietary levels (20, 40, 60 or 80%) and in exp. 2 hulless or conventional barley was substituted for wheat at two dietary levels (35.7 or 71.4%). Increasing dietary hulless barley had no effect on egg production or body weight in exp. 1 while feed consumption and feed conversion were significantly lower and egg weight and specific gravity significantly higher. In exp. 2, addition of hulless barley increased hen-day production and decreased egg specific gravity in comparison to hens fed a wheat diet. At the 35.7% dietary inclusion level, hulless barley resulted in more eggs with higher specific gravity than for hens fed conventional barley. Hens fed 71.4% hulless barley were heavier and produced larger eggs than hens fed the same level of conventional barley. It may be concluded that hulless barley was at least equivalent to wheat and surpassed conventional barley as a cereal grain for laying hens. Key words: Laying hens, hulless barley, barley



1989 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 757-764 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. LEESON ◽  
L. J. CASTON ◽  
J. D. SUMMERS

Three experiments were undertaken to investigate the coccidiostat, nicarbazin, on reproductive performance of layers. In trial 1, levels of 0, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 125, and 200 ppm nicarbazin were fed to White leghorn laying hens for 5 wk. By the 2nd week of nicarbazin treatment, egg production was significantly reduced in birds fed 125 and 200 ppm (P < 0.05). Similarly, increasing levels of nicarbazin resulted in decreasing egg weights (P < 0.01) and feed intake was significantly decreased. However, by the 2nd week post-nicarbazin treatment, egg production, egg weight, and feed intake had returned to normal. Nicarbazin had no effect on egg shell deformation or body weight. Nicarbazin had a marked effect on hatchability; levels of 125 and 200 ppm reduced hatchability significantly (P < 0.01) as well as producing an increased incidence of malpositions and malformations. When nicarbazin was withdrawn from the diet, hatchability returned to pretreatment values although malpositions and malformations were still in evidence. Experiments 2 and 3 were designed to study the effect of nicarbazin on production of brown-shelled eggs. In the 2nd experiment 0, 5, 10, 20, and 40 ppm of dietary nicarbazin resulted in significant loss of shell color at 20 and 40 ppm, whereas in exp. 3 with levels of 0, 80, 125, and 200 ppm, brown eggs lost virtually all their color. It is concluded that the adult White Leghorn bird can tolerate up to 125 ppm nicarbazin without significant (P < 0.01) loss of reproductive performance although lower levels show a trend for reduced production. Hatchability is depressed with nicarbazin levels in excess of 80 ppm, while trace levels will produce a visual loss of color in brown-shelled eggs. Key words: Layer, coccidiostat, reproductive performance



1981 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 751-755 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. OLABORO ◽  
L. D. CAMPBELL ◽  
R. R. MARQUARDT

A short-term bioassay test using Single Comb White Leghorn (SCWL) laying hens was developed to study various fractions of fababeans, to determine the location of the egg-weight-depressing factor (EWDF), and to determine the effect of heat treatment on EWDF activity. A second objective of the research was to develop an extraction method to facilitate studies on identification and mode of action of the factor(s). The 14-day period proved useful in confirming that EWDF activity was concentrated in the cotyledon portion of fababean seeds and associated with the protein rather than the starch component. Ethanol-water extraction was effective in concentrating the factor.



1994 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Brufau ◽  
R. Cos ◽  
A. Pérez-Vendrell ◽  
E. Esteve-Garcia

Two experiments were conducted to compare the performance of Leghorn hens fed a barley-based diet (68.93%) containing three levels of a Trichoderma viride enzyme supplement (0, 100 and 200 mg kg−1 as treatments T2, T3 and T4, respectively) with those obtained when fed a corn-based diet (Treatment T1). In exp. 1, 80 hens were used to determine performance during four 28-d periods, between 21 and 37 wk of age. Egg production, feed consumption, feed efficiency and egg weight of the hens were not affected by enzyme supplement and were similar to those of hens fed the corn diet (P > 0.05). There were also no significant effects on feed consumption per gram of egg or per bird per day (P > 0.05). There was a significant interaction for egg weight between enzyme addition and periods (P < 0.034), indicating that enzyme supplementation improved egg size in the early periods. In exp. 2, 20 hens were fed the same diets to measure water consumption and the ratio of water to feed consumption. Water consumption was not affected (P < 0.07) but the ratio of water to feed was significantly reduced (P < 0.0005) when enzyme was added to the barley-based diet. Water consumption in g d−1 was 172 for T1, 215 for T2, 211 for T3, and 195 for T4, and the water to feed ratios were 1.40, 1.85, 1.66, and 1.56, respectively. These results demonstrate that barley can replace corn in layer diets and that the addition of enzyme to barley-based diets appears to improve egg size and to reduce water consumption relative to feed intake in young laying hens. Key words: Laying hens, performance, water consumption, β-glucans, enzyme supplementation



1976 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 739 ◽  
Author(s):  
MW McDonald ◽  
IJ Bruce

Six diets containing five levels of methionine and two of lysme were each fed to 12 Leghorn and 12 Australorp pullets for a period of 16 weeks Body weight changes, egg production, egg weight and feed intake were measured Although responses to the diets did not differ significantly In univariate analyses, multrvarrate analysis lndicated a srgnificant interaction between breeds and diets. Increased methionine produced small, significant Increases In egg weight, although responses were inconsistent at different levels Body weight gains were not significantly different between diets. Egg production and feed consumption were significantly affected by diet?, but the pattern of response was also inconsistent. A discriminate function analysis showed a consistent response to increased methionine, which indicated that the basal diet was deficient and that the pullets required a total of 0 275% methionine in their diet Lysine supplementation produced a 'significant decrease In feed intake but had no significant effect on any other variable.A multiple regression equation relating metabolizable energy intake to the variables measured in the experiment was calculated and compared with others reported In the literature This was used to predict the requirements of the pullets for a number of essential amino acids.



1990 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 751-760 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. B. WEBSTER ◽  
J. F. HURNIK

The purpose of this study was to record the ethogram of White Leghorn-type hens in cages and to note changes in behavior over the course of the laying period. Three hundred and eighty-four hens derived from two male parental stocks were randomly assigned as pairs to the cages of two three-tiered, semi-stairstep batteries. Hens within pairs were of the same stock, and the batteries were in the same room. The laying phase comprised 13 28-d periods and on the first 4 d of periods 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 video recordings were made of eight cages per day. Each cage was observed on 1 d only. The levels of occurrence of a variety of behavioral states were estimated from 60 records of the behavior of each hen obtained over an 8-h interval. Head flicking was the most prevalent of its group of mutually exclusive behavioral states, followed by eating and preening. Cage pecking appeared stereotyped in many hens, but, at a frequency of 5% of observations, was not unusually prevalent. Bobbing was primarily a prelaying behavior indicative of the restlessness prior to oviposition typical of White Leghorn hens in cages. Hens were on their feet for more than 75% of the time of observation. Physical displacement of a hen by its cagemate was commonplace. Eating was negatively correlated with head flicking and preening. Walking and bobbing were positively correlated with physical displacement. Hens became less active with time in cages, possibly due to an age effect or to behavioral adaptation to the cage environment. A second trend in behavior over time may be related to changes in levels of egg production or feed consumption. Key words: Ethogram, behavior, laying hen, battery cage



2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-46
Author(s):  
I.S. Çetingül ◽  
E.E. Gültepe ◽  
A Rahman ◽  
A Iqbal ◽  
C Uyarlar ◽  
...  

The aim of this study was to explore the potential of Pistacia terebinthus (terebinth) seed meal as a dietary supplement for laying hens. One hundred and ninety-two Babcock 30-week-old laying hens were assigned to one of six treatments (n = 32) with four replicates (n = 8). The hens were fed diets containing 0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, and 5% terebinth seed meal for eight weeks. Weekly egg production, feed consumption, egg weight, and egg mass were recorded. Egg quality was assessed at the beginning, middle and end of the study. Blood sampling was carried out on 12 birds from each treatment. Total antioxidant capacity, total oxidant status and oxidative stress index were determined. Egg production was greater from hens fed 3% and 4% terebinth than those in the other treatments. Egg weight was increased by supplementation with 2% or more terebinth. Feed consumption, feed conversion ratio, eggshell breaking strength, yolk colour, Haugh units, concentrations of glucose, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total protein, phosphorus and calcium in serum, and total antioxidant capacity, total oxidant status, and the oxidative stress index did not differ across treatments. It is concluded that dietary terebinth seed supplementation generated positive effects on egg production and egg weight without adverse effects on egg quality or the metabolism of the hen.Keywords: antioxidant, egg production, egg quality, feed consumption, serum biochemistry



2004 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 411-420
Author(s):  
A. Petruk and D. R. Korver

Ross 508 broiler breeder pullets (n = 400) were reared in floor pens in a light-tight facility with feed allocation based on breeder-recommended body weight targets. At 17 wk, 250 pullets within 15% of the mean weight were randomly assigned to individual cages in one of two environmentally controlled environments: 18°C (exp. 1, n = 125) or 28°C (exp. 2, n = 125). The pullets were photostimulated at 20 wk of age. At 2-wk intervals from 18 to 26 wk, successive groups of hens (n = 25 per environment) were switched from a 0.88% Ca grower diet to a 2.96% Ca breeder diet. Dietary treatment names were based on the time (in weeks) relative to photostimulation that the diet was changed from the grower to the breeder diet (PS – 2, PS, PS + 2, PS+4, and PS + 6, respectively). The hens were killed at 31 wk of age and one leg from each hen was taken for bone mineral analysis. The birds in both experiments maintained target body weights as recommended by the primary breeder; however, the hens in exp. 2 did not consume the allotted feed for the final 2 wk of the experiment. Dietary treatment did not affect feed consumption or body weight. Overall percent hen day production was not affected by dietary treatment in either experiment. In exp. 1, hens in the PS + 4 and PS + 6 treatments produced larger eggs and hens in the PS + 4 treatment produced eggs with greater shell weights. Shell weight as a percentage of egg weight was significantly lower from the PS + 6 hens than the other dietary treatment groups. The PS + 4 treatment resulted in the highest bone Ca as a percentage of ash weight, indicating that changing the diet 4 wk after photostimulation was the optimal time to increase bone Ca reserves in that environment. In exp. 2, the PS + 6 treatment had the highest egg weight whereas birds in the PS and PS + 2 treatment groups had the highest shell weights. Percent shell was the lowest in the PS + 6 and PS + 4 treatment groups overall, although it was only significantly different until 27.4 wk of age. Ca as a percentage of bone weight was lowest in the PS + 2 and PS + 6 treatment groups and Ca as a percentage of ash was lowest in the PS + 2 treatment group. Overall, the results suggest that improper timing of increasing dietary Ca either before or too long after photostimulation decreased eggshell quality and bone characteristics. Elevated environmental temperature appeared to exacerbate these effects; therefore, the change from a low-Ca grower to a high-Ca breeder diet must be made with greater precision in hot climates. Key words: Broiler breeder, photostimulation, dietary calcium, calcium metabolism, heat stress



1963 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 225-227
Author(s):  
J. C. M. Trail

Data on egg production, egg weight, food consumption, broodiness, mortality and body weights of the progeny of indigenous poultry of Uganda crossed with Light Sussex, White Leghorn, Rhode Island Red and Black Australorp breeds were collected collected over the 25-week period from 161 to 336 days of age and compared with the performances of indigenous poultry.In comparison with the indigenous birds, the cross-breeds had a 61% higher mean egg production rate, a 34% lower food consumption per pound of eggs produced, a 15% higher egg weight, a 30% reduction in mortality, a 23% increase in body weight and a decrease in broodiness.All the cross-breeds were superior in productive respects to the indigenous birds and the White Leghorn and Light Sussex breeds appeared to be the best for use in the upgrading of indigenous stock for highest egg production results.



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