PERFORMANCE OF LEGHORN PULLETS AND LAYING HENS IN RELATION TO HATCHING EGG SIZE

1989 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 449-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. LEESON ◽  
J. D. SUMMERS

In trial 1, eggs from young (28 wk) and old (65 wk) leghorn breeders were categorized into groups with mean weights of 54, 59 or 64 g. Female chicks were cage-reared to 18 wk of age; three rearing treatments involved five replicate cages of nine pullets from each egg size category, while treatment 4 involved a mixed population. The largest eggs contained most yolk fat and protein and albumen protein (P < 0.05). Egg size had no effect on male chick composition (P < 0.05). There was no overall effect of egg size or breeder age on feed intake of pullets, although up to 8 wk of age, pullets from small eggs were consistently smaller than those from large eggs. Egg size and breeder flock age had no effect on pullet weight at 18 wk. Pullets reared as a combination group of small:medium:large (3:3:3, treatment 4) showed a significant (P < 0.05) egg size effect on pullet weight at 18 wk of age. In a second trial, eggs were collected from a 45-wk-old flock of commercial leghorn breeders. Eggs were set according to weight, with mean egg weights of 56.4, 61.1 or 66.8 g. Rearing treatments related to the three egg size categories were represented by 10 replicate groups of nine birds each. A fourth treatment involved 26 groups of three chicks from each of the egg weight treatments. Breeder egg size had a significant effect on pullet weight at 126 d. With this differential maintained through the first 12 wk of lay. Breeder egg size had no effect on egg production (P > 0.05), although mean commercial egg weight and feed intake (P < 0.01) were directly proportional to hatching egg size (P < 0.01). It is concluded that hatching egg size can have a significant effect on life-cycle performance of leghorns, and as such, there may be scope for differential management of pullets hatched from different sizes of egg. Key words: Pullet, egg size, egg composition

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. 53-56
Author(s):  
A. O. Fanimo ◽  
A. B. J. Aina ◽  
E. B. Oguntona

Two experiments were conducted concurrently to assess the effect of different levels of fresh and dry Tridax procumbens on performance of layers. 720 Hbbard layers were grouped into 6 treatments of 60 birds per treatment in each experiment. The treatment in consisted of 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10% inclusion rates of fresh and dry Tridax procumbens in first and second experiments, respectively. Tridax leaves, irrespective of the form and level had no significantly (P > 0.05) effect on egg production, egg weight and feed intake. Inclusion of Tridax either in fresh or dry form increased (P < 0.05) yolk colour, while the yolk colour intensity was more pronounced (P < 0.05) in the dry Tridax than the fresh Tridax experiment.


2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 169
Author(s):  
Arif Darmawan ◽  
Sumiati Sumiati ◽  
Widya Hermana

Vitamin E and zinc are necessary for preventing free radical damage to phospholipid membranes, enzymes and other important molecules. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary vitamin E and zinc levels on performance and lipid oxidation in fresh and stored eggs of laying duck. A total of 90 of 22 weeks old ducks were randomly divided into 15 experimental units by assigning a completely randomized design with 5 treatments and 3 replications. The treatment diets were R1 (control diet), R2 (R1+40 IU vitamin E), R3 (R1+80 IU vitamin E), R4 (R1+100 ppm organic zinc), and R5 (R1+200 ppm organic zinc).The experiment was carried out for 8 wk. Parameters observed were feed intake, egg production, egg weight, feed conversion ratio, and Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances (TBARS) value. The results showed that increasing of vitamin E from 40 IU to 80 IU and zinc from 100 ppm to 200 ppm did not affect feed intake and egg weight. Otherwise, the dietary Vitamin E and organic zinc significantly decreased (P<0.05) feed conversion ratio and significantly increased (P<0.05) egg production and decreased (P<0.01) TBARS values. It is concluded that dietary 40 IU vitamin E or 100 ppm organic zinc could increase the performance of laying ducks and dietary 200 ppm organic zinc was more efective to be antioxidant than 40 and 80 IU vitamin E.   


1980 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-35
Author(s):  
A.R. El Boushy ◽  
L.G.M. van Gils ◽  
M.C. Papadopoulos

Twenty groups of 36 laying hens in individual cages were fed on one of 5 diets in which the energy:protein ratio was constant. Diets 1 to 5 had crude protein 12.0, 12.9, 14.0, 15.0 and 16.0% and metabolizable energy 8.71, 9.57, 10.27, 11.10 and 11.70 MJ/kg. From 24 to 64 weeks old, egg production of hens given diets 1 to 5 was 71.46, 71.31, 72.51, 71.13 and 69.99%, respectively. Corresponding values of mean egg weight, weekly feed intake and efficiency of feed conversion were 60.51, 60.47, 61.11, 61.02, 61.07 g; 157.16, 147.56, 142.03, 130.37, 126.72 g; 3.674, 3.460, 3.262, 3.031, 3.014 kg feed/kg egg, respectively. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)


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


1980 ◽  
Vol 95 (3) ◽  
pp. 697-701
Author(s):  
G. Olaboro ◽  
L. D. Campbell ◽  
R. R. Marquardt

SUMMARYTwo experiments were conducted to study the influence of heat treatment of Vicia faba beans on the productive performance of laying hens fed diets containing large proportions of the beans. In the first experiment, the effects of extruding and pelleting the beans were studied while in the second experiment the effects of autoclaving at 121 °C for 30 min the cotyledons and hulls of the beans were evaluated. Hyline-W36 layers were used in the first experiment while two strains (Shaver-288 and Dekalb) of birds were used in the second experiment. Each experiment lasted 5 months during which data on egg production, egg weight, feed intake, mortality and body-weight gain of birds were collected. The results obtained indicated that heat treatment (extruding, pelleting and autoclaving) of the beans, cotyledons and hulls had no beneficial effect on the productive performance of laying hens fed on diets containing large proportions of the heated beans, cotyledons and hulls. Egg-size reducing factors appeared to be concentrated in the cotyledons rather than the hulls of the beans.


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.


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


1992 ◽  
Vol 70 (10) ◽  
pp. 1904-1911 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd W. Arnold

I studied the effects of food availability, habitat quality, and timing of breeding on egg production in yellow-headed blackbirds (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus). Food availability was experimentally manipulated by providing females on six wetlands with supplemental food; six additional wetlands served as unsupplemented controls. Mean nest initiation dates varied by up to 6 d among wetlands, and supplementally fed blackbirds initiated nests 2 d earlier than controls, on average (although this latter difference was not quite significant; P = 0.07). Clutch size declined with laying date, but was unaffected by wetland location, food supplementation, or interactions between these two factors and laying date. Although egg size did not vary among wetlands or in relation to supplemental feeding, egg composition varied with both of these factors. All egg components except wet and dry shell and dry albumen varied among wetlands, whereas total water, wet yolk, and lean yolk were the only components that varied with food supplementation. Large blackbird eggs contained proportionately more water and albumen, but proportionately less yolk and shell. These patterns were somewhat compensatory, such that proportional protein and energy content did not vary with egg size; however, large eggs contained proportionately less fat than did small eggs. Proportional egg composition varied among wetlands (yolk and energy content), but was not affected by supplemental feeding. In general, egg production by yellow-headed blackbirds was not greatly affected by food availability. This may have been due to any of the following four factors: (1) inaccessibility of food supplements owing to competition between male and female blackbirds, (2) insufficient time for females to respond to food supplements, owing to rapid settlement and nest initiation, (3) a nutritionally inappropriate food supplement (i.e., protein availability may not have been enhanced among fed birds), or (4) superabundance of natural foods such that food availability was not limiting egg production.


2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrzej Rutkowski ◽  
Sebastian A. Kaczmarek ◽  
Marcin Hejdysz ◽  
Sebastian Nowaczewski ◽  
Dorota Jamroz

Abstract The aim of the study was to determine the usefulness of two protein concentrates composed of rapeseed meal and new cultivars of narrow-leaved and yellow lupine, peas in laying hen diets and their influence on birds’ performance and egg characteristics. The experiment was conducted with 180 layers kept in individual cages. The birds were randomly assigned to three treatments, with 60 hens in each and during the period of 17 weeks, they were fed diets: I - containing soybean meal as a protein source, II - containing protein concentrates composed of mixture of lupines, peas (19.48% of diet) and rapeseed meal, III - containing protein concentrates composed of a mixture of lupines and peas (27.68% of diet). The body weight, laying rate, egg weight, feed intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR) and egg characteristics were registered. After 9 weeks of experiment, a decrease of laying rate was recorded in treatment III. The mean value of laying rate for 17 weeks amounted to 82.7 (I), 82.5 (II) and 75.9% (III) (P<0.01). The egg weight was diversified already after 4 weeks of egg production and averaged 57.9 (I), 55.9 (II) and 54.9 g (III) (P<0.05). Feed intake amounted to 108 (I), 111 (II) and 104 g per hen/day (III), and FCR was 2.05, 3.17 and 2.23 kg/kg egg weight, respectively. As to egg characteristics, increases of white index (P<0.05), Haugh unit score and yolk colour in treatment III were observed but egg shell thickness was found significantly reduced. In conclusion, the use of about 27.68% of legume seed in laying hen diet affected negatively performance results but about 19.48% of these seeds and 8% rapeseed meal in diets could be accepted as a soybean meal substitute.


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.


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