The influence of body weight at point-of-lay on the production responses of restricted-reared pullets

1984 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 845 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Balnave

The food intake, age at sexual maturity, egg weight and daily egg mass output of pullets fed on a time restriction basis during growth were significantly influenced by body weight at 21 weeks of age. Egg production was not affected significantly when 21-week body weight varied between 1.3 and 1.8 kg. It is suggested that one of the major factors influencing the performance of a pullet flock during lay is the number of birds of abnormally low body weight present at the end of the growing period.

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 26-32
Author(s):  
MA Rashid ◽  
MS Rana ◽  
MN Islam ◽  
S Faruque ◽  
H Khatun ◽  
...  

The study was conducted at Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute to evaluate the productive and reproductive performances of 4 pure lines conserving for the production of next generation. A total of 2000 pedigree hatched day-old chicks were wing banded and reared up to 40 weeks of age. Data were kept on daily feed intake (g/bird/day), weekly body weight (g), age at sexual maturity (days), daily egg production (%) and egg weight (g). There were highly significant differences (p<0.01) in body weight at 38 weeks, age at sexual maturity, egg production up to 40 weeks and egg weight at 38 weeks of age among the treatment groups. There were no significant differences (P>0.05) in fertility, hatchability, dead in germ, sound chick and dead in shell percentage among the treatment except cull chicks where L1 showed the highest percent of cull chicks.  Egg production at 23-28 and 35-40 weeks of age differ significantly (p<0.01) except at 29-34 weeks of age (p>0.05). Significant variations for FCR observed at 35-40 weeks of age while it was non-significant (p>0.05) at 23-28 and 29-34 weeks of age. It is revealed that line-2 is superior in terms of egg production, age at sexual maturity and egg mass where line-1 was better in terms of FCR value. Considering the results it may be concluded that there are significant variations exists regarding egg production performances among the experimental pure lines, thus could be utilized successfully for the production of high yielding strains through proper breeding programme. Bangladesh J. of Livestock Res. 20(1-2): 26-32, Jan-Dec 2013


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 407-412
Author(s):  
Mostafa Ahmed Soliman ◽  
Mohamed Hassan Khalil ◽  
Karim El-Sabrout ◽  
Mostafa Kamel Shebl

Aim: This study aimed to contribute to the productivity improvement of the local chickens by enhancing their egg production traits using a crossbreeding program between Alexandria (local strain) and Lohmann White (commercial strain). Materials and Methods: One thousand two-hundred and eighty-five 4-week-old chicks from two strains: Alexandria local strain (AA) and Lohmann White commercial strain (LL) and their reciprocal crosses obtained from 16 males and 160 females, were used to produce four genetic groups (AA, LL, AL, and LA). Differences among genotypes, direct additive, heterosis, and reciprocal effects were investigated regarding the following traits: Body weight at 4 and 8 weeks and at the age of sexual maturity, age at sexual maturity, egg production, average egg weight, and egg mass during the first 90 days of laying. Results: Statistically significant effects of the genotypes were observed on traits studied. Analysis of direct additive effects showed that AA was superior as a sire strain for improving body weight at early age. For egg traits (age at sexual maturity, egg production, average egg weight, and egg mass), LL was better as a sire strain to improve these traits. Significant positive heterosis percentages were observed for body weight. The crosses (AL and reciprocal) were significantly superior in egg traits (egg production, average egg weight, and egg mass) compared to the local strain. The cross (LA) laid significantly earlier than the local strain. Analysis of reciprocal effects cleared that the local strain could be used as a strain of dam to improve body weight and egg traits. Conclusion: Crossing improved egg production, egg weight, and egg mass in hybrids compared to the local strain.


1971 ◽  
Vol 11 (49) ◽  
pp. 161 ◽  
Author(s):  
JK Connor ◽  
HW Burton

Two experiments examined the effects of protein restriction in the growing period on the production of egg type pullets. The protein levels of diets fed in the growing period were 15, 13, and 11 per cent. The treatments were incorporated in factorial designs with nutritional treatments in the laying period involving diet protein levels of 17, 15, and 13 per cent and, for one of the experiments, with housing densities of either 4 sq. ft. or 2 sq. ft. per bird. Restriction of protein during the growing period retarded growth and delayed sexual maturity, but neither of the levels of restriction examined increased subsequent laying performance. Eggs lost due to delays in the onset of production were not compensated for by increases in subsequent production and egg weight was generally depressed by protein restriction. The pattern of egg production was altered by restriction. A 13 per cent protein layer diet introduced at point of lay also reduced bodyweight gain and delayed age at sexual maturity. Interactions between nutritional and housing treatments in the growing and laying periods were apparent in egg production and egg weight.


Author(s):  
Naga Raja Kumari K ◽  
Ravinder Reddy V ◽  
Chinni Preetham V ◽  
Srinivas Kumar ◽  
D.Sen A.R. ◽  
...  

A trial was conducted to evaluate the requirement of digestible lysine at various protein levels in the diet of WLH layers (BV-300) from 25-44 weeks of age. Layers (528) were fed with diets containing two protein levels i.e. 13.36 and 15.78 % each with 5 % concentration variations of lysine (0.50, 0.55, 0.60, 0.65, and 0.70) and a control with 17 % CP and 0.70 % lysine. Each diet was fed to six replicates of eight birds. Egg production, feed intake, body weight were not influenced either by the concentration of lysine or by level of protein in diet. Increased (P d” 0.05) egg weight and egg mass were observed with increasing lysine in diets. Better feed efficiency was observed with increasing lysine concentration. It can be concluded that WLH layers require approximately 0.65% lysine with 13.36% CP or 0.63% lysine with 15.78% CP (i.e. 598.80 vs 570 mg/h/day) in diet.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-41
Author(s):  
MD. Ruhul Amin ◽  
Elliyana Nadia Hamidi

 In order to examine the effect of phytase supplementation in the diet of laying hen this experiment was conducted with 30 commercial hybrid Babcock-380 layers of 73 weeks of age. The hens were grouped into 3 treatment groups and given microbial phytase (Rena Phytase 400) at levels 2.5, 1.5 and 0 (control) g/kg feed in addition to their basal diet (110 g commercial pellet/day). Records on egg production/group/day, egg mass weight/day, body weight of hens at the end of experimental period were taken and analysed. Results revealed that hen house egg production (HHEP) and egg weight (EW) varied (p<0.05) among the treatment groups but level of phytase did not affect (p<0.05) body weight of hens. Both HHEP and EW were in order of 2.5>1.5>0 g/kg feed phytase group and all the means were significantly (p<0.05) different from each other within treatment groups. Microbial phytase supplementation in layer ration proved to be beneficial in terms of egg production and egg size even after 72 weeks of age of hens. Layer farms in Malaysia can use this technology to earn more profit.


2005 ◽  
Vol 143 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. D. LEWIS ◽  
D. BACKHOUSE ◽  
R. M. GOUS

An experiment was conducted at the University of KwaZulu–Natal to assess the effect of constant photoperiods on sexual maturity and egg-laying performance in broiler breeders given two levels of control-feeding during the rearing phase. Cobb broiler breeder females were grown to reach 2·1 kg body weight at 17 or 21 weeks, and maintained on 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 or 16-h photoperiods from 2 days to 68 weeks of age. There were no significant interactions between photoperiod and growth rate for any production parameter. The time required reaching 2·1 kg increased proportionally with photoperiod but, because of delayed sexual development, birds on longer photoperiods consumed more feed to, and were heavier at, sexual maturity than shorter daylengths. The longer-photoperiod birds also had inferior rates of lay in the first half of the cycle, but superior in the second, which, together with the photoperiodic effects on maturity, resulted in birds on 11, 13 or 14 h producing most eggs to 68 weeks, and those on 16 h fewest. It is possible that the pattern of egg production was due to some of the birds on [ges ]13-h photoperiods becoming photorefractory, having a mid-cycle pause, and then spontaneously resuming egg production in the latter half of the cycle. However, a hinge-analysis of current and other data to the more usual depletion age of 60 weeks showed that the combined effects of photoperiod on sexual maturity and egg production resulted in constant 10-h birds producing the highest number of eggs, with numbers decreasing by 3·6 eggs/h of photoperiod above the hinge and 7·8 eggs/h of photoperiod below it. Mean egg weight increased by 0·4 g/h of photoperiod, but the proportion of abnormally large and floor eggs and the incidence of mortality were unaffected by daylength. For each photoperiod, accelerated growth resulted in body weights being heavier than controls at sexual maturity, despite the mean age at maturity being 10 days earlier for the faster-growing birds. Body weights for the two growth groups were not significantly different at 68 weeks. Faster-growth birds consumed 1 kg less feed to 2·1 kg body weight, but 1·3 kg more feed to sexual maturity and 2·7 kg more to 68 weeks, and produced 6 more eggs than, but had similar patterns of egg production to, the conventionally managed controls. Mean egg weight, the proportion of floor eggs and the incidence of mortality were similar for both groups. Notwithstanding that the overall production of abnormally large eggs was low (1·1 eggs per bird); the faster-growing birds produced significantly more than the controls. Egg weight was positively influenced by age at sexual maturity, body weight at sexual maturity and photoperiod, but was unaffected by rate of growth to 2·1 kg per se.These findings show that there are differences between broiler breeders and egg-type pullets in their response to constant photoperiods. It is likely that the factors responsible for these differences, particularly in terms of sexual development, are the exhibition of photorefractoriness by, and the retardational effects of controlled feeding on, broiler breeders.


2011 ◽  
Vol 50 (No. 4) ◽  
pp. 163-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Akbaş ◽  
Ç. Takma

In this study, canonical correlation analysis was applied to layer data to estimate the relationships of egg production with age at sexual maturity, body weight and egg weight. For this purpose, it was designed to evaluate the relationship between two sets of variables of laying hens: egg numbers at three different periods as the first set of variables (Y) and age at sexual maturity, body weight, egg weight as the second set of variables (X) by using canonical correlation analysis. Estimated canonical correlations between the first and the second pair of canonical variates were significant (P &lt; 0.01). Canonical weights and loadings from canonical correlation analysis indicated that age at sexual maturity had the largest contribution as compared with body weight and egg weight to variation of the number of egg productions at three different periods. &nbsp;


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-79
Author(s):  
A. Osu ◽  
D. Almut

Data on the Ife Breed of the indigenous chicken and the Apollo, an imported commercial egg strain were analysed for effect of breed, time and generation of hatch, body weight at various ages, and age at sexual maturity on egg weight and rate of egg production to eight months. There were highly significant generation and breed differences, with a mean of 116 eggs for the Ife Breed compared to 106 for the Apollo over two generations. Other factors that significantly affected egg production were body weight and age at sexual maturity, and mature egg weight. Mean pullet year egg weight showed breed and hatch differences and were significantly affected by body weight and age at sexual maturity. Mean egg weight for the Ife Breed was 32.3 compared to 48.7 for the Apollo.


2014 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-14
Author(s):  
MS Islam ◽  
H Khatun ◽  
MN Islam ◽  
S Faruque ◽  
MSK Sarker

A total of 887 ducklings of BLRI-1 duck genotype and 352 ducklings of BLRI-2 duck genotype were studied to measure productive and reproductive performances under intensive management. Data were recorded on body weight, egg production, egg weight, fertility, embryonic mortality, hatchability, feed intake, age at sexual maturity, body weight at maturity and egg weight at maturity. The fertility rate in BLRI-1duck was significantly (p<0.01) higher than that of BLRI-2 duck, while hatchability of BLRI-2 duck on fertile eggs were significantly (p<0.05) better compared to BLRI-1 duck. The embryonic mortality was significantly (p<0.01) higher in BLRI-2 duck than BLRI-1 duck. Duckling weight was influenced by egg weight (p<0.05) but difference in duckling: egg ratio was not significant (p>0.05). Hatching weight, 4th week and 12th week of age were significant (p<0.05) influent while the body weight of ducks at 8th week did not differ significantly (p>0.05) for BLRI-1 and BLRI-2 ducks, respectively. The least squares mean for age at sexual maturity were 158 days and 151.75 days, respectively for BLRI-1 and BLRI-2 ducks (p<0.05). BLRI-1 duck started to lay eggs almost one week late compared to BLRI-2 duck. Duck weight at sexual maturity, egg weight at first lay and egg production did not have significant (p>0.05) difference between genotypes. It may be concluded that BLRI-2 duck genotype is superior in terms of hatchability and age at sexual maturity to BLRI-1 duck genotype. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/agric.v12i1.19485 The Agriculturists 2014; 12(1) 10-14


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