Protein and energy self-selection by turkey hens: reproductive performance

1. The influence of protein and energy self-selection on the reproductive performance of turkey hens was investigated. Large White turkey hens were fed on either a complete diet (185 g CP/kg, 11.30 MJ ME/kg) or were provided with a choice between a high protein-low energy diet (348 g CP/kg, 7.74 MJ ME/kg) and a high energy-low protein diet (81 g CP/kg, 13.39 MJ ME/kg). 2. Egg production, egg weight, and the fertility and hatchability of eggs produced were not significantly affected by the dietary treatments (P greater than 0.05). 3. While energy intake was not significantly different between groups, protein consumption decreased by approximately 40% (P less than or equal to 0.001) among self-selecting hens compared to hens fed on the complete diet. This resulted in a 10% (P less than or equal to 0.05) reduction in the food intake in the self-selecting birds.     

Effect of inclusion of sugar beet pulp,pelleting and season on laying hen performance

1. The effect of three metabolisable energy (ME) concentrations 12.2, 11.3 and 10.5 MJ ME/kg and two forms of diet (mash and pellet) on egg production in summer and winter were studied. The different ME values were obtained by diluting the 12.2 MJ ME/kg diet with sugar beet pulp of 2.88 MJ/kg DM. In a 3rd summer experiment the water intake of hens on these diets was examined. Data were analysed by factorial analysis of variance, and the relationship between performance and dietary energy concentration was examined by regression analysis.

2. The use of low energy diets (10.5 to 11.3 MJ ME/kg) decreased egg production in both seasons, but pelleting diets improved egg production and egg weight in summer. Egg weight was not affected by energy density in winter, but decreased in the summer when energy density increased.

3. In winter, food consumption was not affected by the dietary ME, while in summer food consumption increased when the dietary ME increased. Therefore, energy intake was not the same at all energy densities, but tended to increase as the energy density increased.

4. In summer, pelleting improved food efficiency and egg production and increased water consumption and the ratio of water to food intake. Water intake and water: food ratio decreased with increasing dietary energy concentration.     

Effect of supplementary choline on the performance of broiler breeders fed on different energy sources

1. Laying performance, egg quality, fertility and hatchability, and fat deposition in liver and abdomen were recorded in broiler breeders (29 to 48 weeks of age) fed on diets containing perarl millet (Pennisetum typhoides) (PM), broken rice (BR) or yellow maize (YM) (600 g/kg diet). Constant ratios of metabolisable energy (ME) to other nutrients were maintained in all the diets. Food grade choline chloride (50%) was added to the diets at 3 concentrations (0, 760 and 1,520 mg/kg). Each diet was offered to 3 replicate groups of 15 birds (12 hens and 3 cockerels), maintained in deep litter pens, to provide 1.46 MJ ME/bird/d. 2. Neither the source of energy nor dietary choline content had any influence on hen-d egg production, fertility or hatchability. Food efficiency and egg weight were significantly reduced in BR-fed groups compared to those fed on the other energy sources. 3. The efficiency of energy and protein utilisation increased and liver fat content was decreased significantly by dietary choline supplementation. 4. Haugh unit score, egg shell weight, liver weight and intestinal weight were not influenced by either supplementary choline or the source of energy. However, the yolk colour index was significantly reduced in PM- or BR-fed groups compared to those fed on the maize-based diet. 5. Deposition of abdominal fat was significantly greater in BR-fed birds compared to those fed on the YM-based diet, while liver fat content was significantly greater in the birds fed on the PM-or BR-based diets than those based on YM. Although supplementation of the diet with choline had no influence on abdominal fat deposition, liver fat content was significantly reduced in birds given diet containing 760 mg supplemental choline/kg diet. 6. The present study indicates that PM or BR can be used as principal energy sources in place of YM in broiler breeder diets without affecting egg production, fertility or hatchability. Liver fat content can be reduced by adding choline at 760 mg/kg to diets based on different energy sources.     

Strain Response of Laying Hens to Varying Dietary Energy Levels With and Without Avizyme Supplementation

The response of 4 strains of laying hens fed diets varying in ME with and without Avizyme 1500 (AVI) supplementation was evaluated in a factorial arrangement study. The strains of laying hens (Hy-Line W-36, Hy-Line Brown, Babcock B300, and Shaver White) were fed 3 diets: moderate ME (2,900 kcal/kg), low ME (2,810 kcal/kg), and low ME with AVI for 28 wk commencing at 22 wk of age. No significant effects of diet, strain, or their interaction on feed intake and BW change were observed. Lack of an effect on feed intake was surprising given the different levels of ME. It is hypothesized that the reduced dietary ME was not low enough to elicit a response. Of course, dietary level of ME did change caloric intake among hens, with hens fed moderate ME consuming more calories than those fed low ME with or without AVI. There was an interesting dietary ME × strain interaction effect on egg production (EP). Babcock B300 hens fed moderate ME and low ME with AVI had greater EP compared with the B300 hens fed low ME, whereas the Shaver White hens had a greater EP when fed a low-ME diet compared with feeding a moderate-ME diet or low-ME diet with AVI. Egg weight and egg mass were significantly affected by strain but not by diet ME. Hy-Line Brown and Babcock B300 hens laid eggs with greater weight and mass in contrast to Hy-Line W-36 or Shaver White. Hy-Line Brown eggs were the largest, whereas Shaver White had greatest egg-specific gravity. Strain significantly affected proportions of albumen vs. yolk in the egg. Across all strains, Hy-Line Brown had more albumen percentage, whereas Hy-Line W-36 had higher wet yolk and yolk solids percentages. The low-ME level fed to laying hens may have been too high to evoke an enzyme response to improve energy utilization by birds. This is important, because to obtain an economic benefit, producers would need to know the proper ME level to feed with the supplemental enzymes.     

Influence of high dietary vitamin E supplementation on egg production and plasma characteristics in hens subjected to heat stress

1. The effects of different dietary concentrations of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol acetate) were investigated in 2 experiments on laying hens exposed to chronic heat stress at 32C. 2. In the first experiment, egg production and plasma concentrations of calcium and egg yolk precursors were measured in 24 hens before, during and after a stress period of one week and fed on diets containing 10 or 500 mg vitamin E/kg. 3. In the second, larger experiment, egg production and food intake were measured in 300 hens housed in 2 temperature-controlled rooms and fed on diets containing 10, 125 or 500 mg vitamin E/kg. Birds in room 1 were stressed from 24 to 28 weeks of age and those in room 2 from 32 to 36 weeks. 4. In experiment 1, egg production and egg weight were significantly higher (72.6 vs 51.2%, P < 0.05 and 66.6 vs 63.1 g, P < 0.005 respectively) during and after the period of stress in the group given 500 mg vitamin E/kg. Plasma concentrations of calcium, vitellogenin (zinc) and VLDL (triglyceride) were also higher in this group. 5. In experiment 2, egg production was significantly higher (65.4 vs 56.2%, P < 0.05) during and after the period of heat stress in birds in room 1 fed on the diet containing 500 mg vitamin E/kg. Egg production was also higher (49.9% vs 44.7%) on this treatment during the stress period in room 2, though the difference was not significant (P < 0.10). Egg weight and food intake were unaffected by treatment in either room. 6. It is concluded that dietary supplementation with extra vitamin E can, at least in part, alleviate the adverse effects of chronic heat stress in laying hens, perhaps by maintaining the supply of egg precursors in plasma.     

Food intake and abdominal adipose tissue in White Leghorn hens fed diets of different protein and energy concentrations

1. Single Comb White Leghorn hens of 2 ages (44 and 80 weeks) were fed diets of different energy (10.88, 12.13 or 13.39 MJ ME and 140 g protein/kg) or protein (120, 140, 160 or 180 g and 12.13 MJ ME/kg) concentration over an 8-week period. 2. Food intake did not change with increasing concentrations of dietary protein. Protein intake was directly correlated with dietary protein concentration. 3. Energy intake increased with dietary energy concentration but, generally, failed to match the increases in dietary energy concentration. Energy, rather than protein, concentration was the major determinant of food intake. 4. Efficiency of energy utilisation decreased and mean adipocyte size increased with higher energy intake. 5. A bimodal adipocyte size distribution, consisting of a primary large size and a secondary small size population, was present in the abdominal fat pad of birds of both ages. There was no significant difference in the numbers of large adipocytes between the hens of the two ages. 6. The greater mean fat pad weight in the older hens was associated with increased mean cell volume in the population of large adipocytes.     

Self-selection of dietary protein and energy by turkey breeder hens

1. An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of self-selection of dietary protein and energy by turkey hens on reproductive performance in a warm environment. 2. Dietary self-selection had no significant effect on egg production, egg weight, or body weight of turkey hens. 3. Fertility and hatchability of eggs produced by self-selecting hens were significantly reduced compared to eggs from control hens fed on a complete diet. 4. Protein intake was significantly reduced among self-selecting hens when compared to control hens fed on a complete diet (P less than or equal to 0.001). 5. Food and energy intake decreased as the ambient temperature increased. Nevertheless, protein intake of self-selecting hens increased over the course of egg production despite decreasing food intake. Therefore, self-selecting hens preferred a diet with a greater protein content (g protein/kg diet) in the last 10 weeks of egg production than during the first 10 weeks of egg production.     

Effects of low and high glucosinolate rapeseed meals on productive performance,egg quality,composition of liver and incidence of haemorrhagic liver syndrome in laying birds

1. Two experiments were done with low and high glucosinolate rapeseed meals (RSM) fed to layers at various concentrations in the diets.

2. The inclusion of low glucosinolate RSM (100g/kg) in the diet did not affect egg production adversely. Inclusion at a rate of 125 or 150 g ‘ of this type of meal per kilogram resulted in non‐significant reductions in egg production when compared with that of the birds fed on the control diet.

3. Egg weight, specific gravity and Haugh unit values were unaffected when low glucosinolate RSM was included at rates of up to 150 g/kg whereas inclusion of high glucosinolate RSM at the rate of 100 or 150 g/kg decreased egg production and Haugh unit values when compared with the results obtained from a control diet based on soyabean meal.

4. Thyroid glands were slightly enlarged when low glucosinolate RSM was included in the diet at concentrations up to 150 g/kg, while 100 or 150 g high glucosinolate RSM/kg caused marked enlargement in thyroid glands.

5. None of the treatments affected liver weight, spleen weight, composition of liver, liver fat score or the incidence of haemorrhagic liver syndrome.     

Effect of Energy and Protein on Performance,Egg Components,Egg Solids,Egg Quality,and Profits in Molted Hy-Line W-36 Hens

An experiment was conducted to determine the influence of dietary energy on performance, egg composition, egg solids, egg quality, and profits of Hy-Line W-36 hens fed different protein levels. The experiment was designed as a 4 × 3 factorial arrangement with 4 added dietary energy levels (0, 79, 158, and 238 kcal of ME/kg) and 3 protein levels (14.89, 16.06, and 17.38%). The basal diets of 17.38, 16.06, and 14.89% protein contained 2,751, 2,784, and 2,815 kcal of ME/kg, respectively. This study lasted 12 wk. Molted Hy-Line W-36 hens (n = 1,440) in phase 1 (70 wk of age) were randomly divided into 12 treatments (8 replicates of 15 hens per treatment). Protein had a significant effect on egg production, egg mass, feed intake, feed conversion, egg weight, percentage of egg shell components, yolk color, and yolk and albumen weight. As dietary energy increased from 0 to 238 kcal of ME/kg by addition of poultry oil, feed intake linearly decreased. Increasing dietary energy also significantly increased BW and egg yolk color. As dietary energy increased, percentage yolk solids increased at the 2 greater dietary protein levels, whereas egg-specific gravity linearly decreased at the 17.38% protein level. Increasing dietary energy and protein significantly improved feed conversion. Increasing protein intake significantly increased albumen and yolk weight but had no influence on yolk, albumen, or whole egg solids. Because feed ingredient and egg prices vary, there can be no fixed ideal dietary energy level for optimal profits during molt phase 1 (70 to 81 wk).     

Influence of dietary energy, supplemental fat and linoleic acid concentration on performance of laying hens at two ages

1. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of metabolisable energy (ME), supplemental fat (SFAT) and linoleic acid (LIN) content of the diet on the productive performance and weight of eggs and egg components of Isabrown hens of 22 or 74 weeks of age. 2. Six diets were formulated to contain the following concentrations of ME (MJ/kg), SFAT (g/kg) and LIN (g/kg), respectively: A) 11.8, 0 and 11.5; B) 11.8, 40 and 11.5; C) 11.8, 40 and 16.5; D) 11.2, 40 and 16.5; E) 11.2, 40 and 11.5; and F) 11.2, 0 and 11.5. Data were collected for 28 d and analysed using linear contrasts to test the effect of SFAT, LIN, ME and their interactions. 3. When the LIN content of the diets was maintained constant at 11.5 g/kg, an increase in the SFAT from 0 to 40 g/kg increased egg weight (63.8 vs 64.5 g; P<0.05), food intake (119 vs 124 g; P<0.01) and energy intake (1.36 vs. 1.42 MJ/d; P<0.01) and body weight change of the hens (-85 vs. 27 g; P<0.001). Supplemental fat also increased yolk (15.8 vs. 16.3 g; P<0.001) and albumen weight (40.8 vs. 42.3 g; P<0.01) but yolk to albumen ratio was not modified. 4. Egg and albumen weights were improved by SFAT in early but not in late producing hens. As a result, yolk to albumen ratio decreased in the younger hens, from 0.371 to 0.357, but increased in the older hens, from 0.408 to 0.415; P<0.01) with fat addition. 5. An increase in the LIN content of the diets from 11.5 to 16.5 g/kg did not modify any of the traits studied. 6. It was concluded that the LIN requirement of the hens for maximal productivity and weight of eggs is 11.5 g/kg or less. Supplemental fat increased the weight of eggs and albumen in the younger but not in older hens and the beneficial effect was independent of its LIN content.     

The effects of different maternal dietary iodine concentrations on Japanese quail II. Thyroid function in embryos and hatchlingsi

Embryos (day I4 of the 16.5 day incubation period) and I day old chicks of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) were used to study the effects of egg I on thyroid development. The maternal diets were supplemented with 0–1200 μg I/kg of purified diet. Thyroid function, of embryos and chicks (before feeding), adapted to a wide range of egg I availability.We measured body weights, thyroid weights, thyroidal ¹²⁵I uptakes, stable I concentrations in thyroid glands and triiodothyronine (T₃) and thyroxine (T₄) concentrations in the serum.With low egg I (maternal diets with <50 μg I/kg) embryonic and chick thyroid glands were hypertrophied, thyroidal I content was very low and thyroidal radioiodine uptakes were high. Serum hormone concentrations were not significantly different from those of embryos and chicks from eggs with higher I contents. Thyroid weights were lowest in young from eggs of hens on the 150 μg I/kg diet, and the other variables studied also indicated this maternal diet provided sufficient egg I for the thyroid function of embryos and hatchlings.With high egg I (maternal diets with 300–1200 μg I/kg) thyroidal radioiodine uptakes were low but thyroidal I incorporation was related to egg I content. Serum hormone concentrations were not significantly altered by high I availability except that serum T₄ concentrations differed in a comparison of the extremes (0 vs 1200 μg I/kg in the maternal diet). As expected, from the consistency of serum hormone concentrations, embryonic growth was not affected by the I content of the eggs.In agreement with earlier studies on quail hens, our results indicate that feed supplementation of 150 μg I/kg is sufficient to meet needs without requiring alterations in thyroid function to maintain serum hormone concentrations. Developing thyroid glands adapt effectively to egg I concentrations of 0.2 to 4.1 μg I/g yolk which result from maternal diets with 0–1200 μg I/kg.     

Effects of food intake regulation on the energy metabolism of hens and cockerels of a layer strain

1. Indirect calorimetry was used to study the effects on the energy metabolism of cockerels and hens after peak lay of a hybrid layer strain of regulating food or energy intake to 80% of ad libitum for an extended period of time. 2. Regulation of food intake decreased fasting and fed heat productions per bird and per unit metabolic body weight (kg0.75). 3. Maintenance energy requirements (per kg0.75) of both sexes were reduced about 20% by regulation; maintenance requirements of cockerels were about 30% lower per kg0.75 than hens on the same treatments. 4. Reducing the intake of all nutrients by 20% had the same effect on the energy metabolism of cockerels as restricting energy alone by the same amount. 5. Gross efficiency of egg production, in terms of both mass and energy, was higher when intake was regulated. During weeks 21 to 52 of restriction, daily egg mass output was significantly higher in hens fed ad libitum. 6. After 52 weeks of food regulation, restricted hens weighed 20% less and their total carcass energy was 36% less than hens fed ad libitum; similar effects were found in the cockerels.     

Food intake of the laying hen following crop loads of maize oil and other nutrients

The metabolisable energy (ME) of the diet of laying hens at an ambient temperature (Ta) of 20 degrees C was abruptly changed from 10.9 MJ/kg to 12.9 MJ/kg, or vice versa. Food intake during the next 14 d was significantly reduced by the low ME diet and was increased by the high ME diet, that is, the expected compensatory changes in food intake did not occur. Laying hens given the same change of diet as above but kept at 32 degrees C did not show any change in food intake within 14 d. Thus ME intake increased with the high ME diet and decreased with the low ME diet. Daily doses of 10 ml maize oil/kg body weight given directly into the crop of laying hens at a Ta of 20 degrees C, resulted in an immediate, significant, reduction of food intake such that total ME intake remained the same as with normal feeding. Daily doses of 3 ml maize oil/kg, given as before, resulted in an immediate, significant, reduction in food intake at a Ta of 20 degrees C but at a Ta of 32 degrees C food intake remained unchanged; consequently daily ME intake increased. Loading the crop with glucose or sucrose, at Ta 20 degrees C, in quantities which provided a similar ME as 3 ml maize oil/kg, reduced food intake but the adjustment was less precise and daily ME intake increased. Loading with glycerol or protein hydrolysate decreased both food and ME intake. Crop loads of starch were as effective as maize oil in bringing about a significant and compensatory reduction of food intake. Similar volumes of water or liquid paraffin placed in the crop did not affect food or ME intake. A similar weight or cellulose placed in the crop reduced food and ME intake.     

Effects of xylanase supplementation of corn-soybean meal-dried distiller's grain diets on performance,metabolizable energy,and body composition when fed to first-cycle laying hens

The increased cost of energy for laying hen diets has resulted in the use of enzymes, such as xylanase, to increase energy digestibility and thereby reduce the need for dietary energy. A 24-wk-long experiment was conducted using 432 twenty-week-old Hy-Line W36 first-cycle laying hens to determine the effects of energy concentrations and xylanase supplementation (Hostazym X 100) on hen performance, ME, and body composition. Three concentrations of dietary energy were fed with and without xylanase supplementation in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Diets were reformulated twice over the experiment (wk 30 and 40) due to increased feed intake or changes in egg production. Dietary energy main effect treatments included a control (C), C − 77 kcal/kg, and C − 154 kcal/kg diets. Egg production, feed intake, BW, egg weight, egg mass, and FE data were collected during the experiment. Nitrogen-corrected AME was determined at 32 and 44 wk of age, and featherless body composition (crude fat, CP, and ash) was determined at 44 wk of age. Hen-day egg production was increased in hens fed dietary xylanase during wk 31 to 40 and 20 to 44. Feed intake was increased with reduced dietary energy during all periods evaluated. Egg mass and FE were improved with xylanase supplementation during wk 31 to 40 and 20 to 44. Hen BW was not different among treatments and egg weight was only significantly different at select time periods with no consistent responses over time. Main effects at hen wk 32 showed that reduced energy resulted in reduced AME_n and xylanase increased AME_n. In contrast, xylanase treatment resulted in reduced AME_n when measured at the end of wk 44. Overall, supplementation of xylanse to laying hens increased egg production, egg mass, and FE, although AME_n results were inconsistent and body composition data were dependent on dietary energy.     

Optimal dietary concentration of vitamin E for alleviating the effect of heat stress on egg production in laying hens.

1. The effects of different dietary concentrations of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol acetate) were investigated on laying hens exposed to chronic heat stress at 32 degrees C from 26 to 30 weeks of age. 2. Diets containing 5 dietary concentrations of vitamin E (a control diet containing 10 mg alpha-tocopherol/kg or this diet supplemented to contain 125, 250, 375 and 500 mg alpha-tocopherol/kg) were fed to 335 birds. Half of the birds received the supplemented diets for only 4 weeks before the heat stress period (short supplementation duration, SSD) and were fed on the control diet for a further 12 weeks. The remaining birds were fed on the supplemented diets throughout the experiment, 4 weeks before, 4 weeks during and 8 weeks after the heat stress period (long supplementation duration, LSD). 3. Egg production was significantly higher during (80-6 vs 68.9%, P<0.02) and after (75.3 vs 62.7%, P<0.02) the period of stress in the LSD group fed on the diet containing 250 mg vitamin E/kg compared with the group fed on the control diet. LSD birds given 375 and 500 mg vitamin E/kg also had higher egg production than control birds during heat stress but the differences failed to reach significance (74.6 vs 68.9% and 77.1 vs 68.9% respectively). In the SSD groups, mean egg production of the birds given the diets supplemented with 125 mg vitamin E/kg or more was significantly different from the control group after heat stress (70.3 vs 62.7%, P<0.05). Egg weight and food intake were similar in all the groups. 4. Plasma and liver vitamin E concentrations were proportional to the vitamin E intake before the stress period, dropped during heat stress in the SSD groups but were maintained at concentrations closer to those observed before heat stress in the LSD groups. 5. It is concluded that a dietary supplement of 250 mg vitamin E/kg provided before, during and after heat stress is optimum for alleviating, at least in part, the adverse effects of chronic heat stress in laying hens.     

The effects of withdrawal of vitamin and trace mineral supplements from layer diets on egg yield and trace mineral composition

1. This study was conducted as three trials. 2. In the first trial, zinc, manganese, copper and iron concentrations were determined in dietary raw materials collected from various regions of Turkey. 3. In the second trial, 200 Hisex Brown laying hens, 30 weeks of age, were divided into two groups. The first group served as controls and were fed on a standard commercial layer diet. The second group were fed on a commercial layer diet that was not supplemented with trace minerals and vitamins. Egg production, egg weight, specific gravity, food consumption and food efficiency of the birds in each group were determined. In the unsupplemented group, egg production (0.75 vs 0.83) and food intake (114 vs 122 g) were lower than the those of the control group (P < 0.05). Food efficiency was 2.42 (kg food/kg gain) in the group consuming the unsupplemented diet and 2.36 in the controls. 4. In the third trial, as in Trial 2, Hisex Brown laying hens, 62 weeks of age were used. In the unsupplemented group, the mean egg weight was significantly lower than that of controls (68.0 vs 69.6 g) (P < 0.01). 5. At the end of the second and third trials, egg samples collected from experimental groups were hard boiled in water. The levels of zinc, manganese, copper and iron in the egg yolk were determined. The zinc level of the egg yolk from the control group of second trial was higher (23.5 mg/kg) than those of the unsupplemented group (13.6 mg/kg).     

Effect of dietary flaxseed, flax oil and n-3 fatty acid supplement on hepatic and plasma characteristics relevant to fatty liver haemorrhagic syndrome in laying hens

1. Two experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of dietary flaxseed, flax oil and n-3 fatty acid supplementation (Dry n-3) on hepatic fat content, plasma triglycerides, hepatic haemorrhage score, egg production, food intake and body weight in an inbred line of Single Comb White Leghorns (UCD-003) predisposed to fatty liver haemorrhagic syndrome (FLHS) and normal SCWL hens. 2. Feeding diets containing 100 g/kg ground flaxseed, 40 g/kg flax oil, or 100 g/kg Dry n-3 reduced body weight and significantly reduced hepatic fat content compared to feeding the control diet with animal and vegetable oil as a fat source. 3. Hepatic malondialdehyde, an indicator of lipid peroxidation within the liver, was not significantly affected by dietary treatment. 4. Normal SCWL hens tended to have higher egg production, greater body weight, greater food intake and higher blood triglyceride concentrations than UCD-003 hens, although the strain effects were not significant. Liver weight as a percent of body weight was significantly lower in normal SCWL hens. Treatments by strain interactions were not found. 5. The result suggested that dietary flaxseed, flax oil and Dry n-3 decrease hepatic fat content and reduce body weight, 2 of the predisposing factors believed to contribute to FLHS onset. However, haemorrhages were still apparent in both strains regardless of treatment, indicating that other unknown underlying mechanisms may also be responsible for FLHS.     

Modelling energy utilisation in broiler breeder hens

1. The objective of this study was to determine a metabolisable energy (ME) requirement model for broiler breeder hens. The influence of temperature on ME requirements for maintenance was determined in experiments conducted in three environmental rooms with temperatures kept constant at 13, 21 and 30 degrees C using a comparative slaughter technique. The energy requirements for weight gain were determined based upon body energy content and efficiency of energy utilisation for weight gain. The energy requirements for egg production were determined on the basis of egg energy content and efficiency of energy deposition in the eggs. 2. The following model was developed using these results: ME = kgW0.75(806.53-26.45T + 0.50T2) + 31.90G + 10.04EM, where kgW0.75 is body weight (kg) raised to the power 0.75, T is temperature ( degrees C), G is weight gain (g) and EM is egg mass (g). 3. A feeding trial was conducted using 400 Hubbard Hi-Yield broiler breeder hens and 40 Peterson males from 31 to 46 weeks of age in order to compare use of the model with a recommended feeding programme for this strain of bird. The application of the model in breeder hens provided good productive and reproductive performance and better results in feed and energy conversion than in hens fed according to strain recommendation. In conclusion, the model evaluated predicted an ME intake which matched breeder hens' requirements.     

Effect of nutrient density on production performance, egg quality and humoral immune response of brown laying (Dahlem Red) hens in the tropics

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of various concentrations of metabolizable energy (ME) with graded incremental levels of crude protein (CP) and essential amino acids (lysine and methionine) on production performance, egg quality and humoral immune response of Dahlem Red laying hens. Four experimental diets based on maize–soybean meal-deoiled rice bran were prepared. Diet 1 was fed as a control diet containing 2,600 kcal ME/kg, 15% CP, 0.75% Lys and 0.36% Met, and in the other three diets (D2, D3 and D4), concentrations of the above nutrients were increased by 2.5%, 5.0% and 7.5%, respectively. The levels of Ca (3.5%) and available P (0.32) were constant in all the diets. Each diet was offered ad libitum from 28 to 40 weeks of age to eight replicates containing six birds in each replicate. The egg production, egg weight and egg mass (in grams of egg per hen per day) were not affected by increasing the nutrient density up to 7.5% (2,795 kcal ME/kg diet) compared to the control group (2,600 ME/kg diet). However, feed consumption and feed efficiency (in grams of egg per gram of feed) were influenced by the variation in the nutrient density of diets. As the nutrient density increased by 5% (2,730 ME/kg diet), birds consumed significantly (P < 0.001) less feed. The birds in the 7.5% higher density group produced significantly (P < 0.05) higher egg mass per unit feed consumption compared to the control diet. Increasing nutrient density up to 7.5% had no effect on relative weight of albumen, yolk or shell. The Haugh unit, yolk colour and shell thickness were also not affected due to variation in the nutrient density. The humoral immune response measured at 34 and 40 weeks was progressively improved by increasing the nutrient density up to 5%. Increasing the nutrient density beyond 5% in the diet had no further influence on the humoral immune response. Based on the results of the present study, it can be concluded that Dahlem Red laying hens required 2,795 kcal/kg ME, 16% CP, 0.8% lysine and 0.4% methionine for eliciting optimum performance and immune response during 28 to 40 weeks of age.     

Effects of dietary copper on production and egg cholesterol content in laying hens

1. This experiment was carried out to determine the effects of diets supplemented with different amounts of copper on egg production, food intake, food conversion ratio, egg weight, damaged egg ratio, specific gravity, mortality and cholesterol concentration in yolk. The experiment lasted 90 d and 400 Hisex-Brown hens, aged 27 weeks at the start of the study, were used. 2. There were no statistically significant effects of supplementary copper on egg production, food intake or food conversion efficiency. 3. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups in terms of damaged eggs, egg weight, specific gravity and live weight. 4. At the end of the experiment, the lowest yolk cholesterol concentrations were obtained in the 150 kg/kg copper group and the greatest concentrations were in the control group. 5. Consequently, the use of supplementary copper to provide 150 kg/kg in poultry diets was concluded to decrease yolk cholesterol concentrations without any effect on production performance.