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.     

Effects of restricting the energy intake of laying hens

Light and medium hybrids were allowed to consume, from 24 to 52 weeks of age, ad libitum or approximately 1200, 1154, 1107 and 1062 kJ ME/bird d. A sixth treatment consisted of the lowest level of energy but with higher levels of protein calcium and phosphorus. From 52 to 58 weeks all the birds were fed ad libitum. Treatments were reimposed from 58 to 68 weeks of age.

In the 24‐ to 68‐week period mean rate of lay decreased progressively with decreasing energy intake. Rate of lay of medium and light hybrids allowed 1200 kJ ME/d was, respectively, about 10 and 4 percentage points lower than controls. Initially differences in rate of lay in relation to energy intake were small, particularly in the case of light hybrids, but became more marked as restriction continued. During the 6‐week rehabilitation period previously restricted groups tended to lay more eggs than controls.

With both strains egg weight tended to decrease as energy intake was reduced. In the 6 weeks of rehabilitation most groups tended to lay slightly heavier eggs than controls. At 27 weeks eggs from birds allowed the 1062 kJ/bird d had thinner shells than those from other groups but treatment had no effect on Haugh units. At 48 weeks Haugh units were similar for each restricted group but significantly less for controls (P= 0.05).

Restricted groups lost between 6 and 12% of their body weight in the first 16 weeks but regained a little in the succeeding 12 weeks. During the 6 weeks of rehabilitation they gained weight rapidly but at 68 weeks restricted birds were lighter than they had been at 24 weeks of age. Least‐severely restricted birds were significantly lighter than controls (P = 0.001) and final body weight decreased slightly but progressively with severity of restriction.

Protein or minerals or both, as well as energy, limited egg weight and body weight at the lower level of food intake. The effect on egg weight was more marked in the early stages of lay. There was no evidence that rate of lay or egg quality were limited by nutrients other than energy. Mortality was generally low and there was no evidence of a treatment effect.     

Effect of water: food intake ratios in laying hens on food metabolisable energy

It has been hypothesised that a relatively high water intake results in a lower food digestibility. The influence of water:food ratios on the metabolisability of a diet was investigated. With ad libitum water and food the water:food ratios varied between 1.17 and 2.47 and showed a positive relationship with metabolisable energy. In groups of hens receiving 40 g food and water sufficient to provide water:food ratios of 1, 2, 3 and 4, the results showed a non-significant negative regression of apparent metabolisable energy with water:food ratios.     

The effect of rapeseed meal on the energy metabolism of laying hens

1. The effect of 100 g rapeseed meal (RSM)/kg diet on the energy metabolism of hybrid laying hens was examined by indirect calorimetry. Thyroid hormone concentrations, thyroid weight, liver weight and body weight, egg production and food intake were also measured. 2. Fasting heat production was significantly lower in hens receiving RSM than in controls, but this difference disappeared when the birds were fed. 3. Thyroid hormone concentrations decreased, while thyroid and liver weights increased slightly; none of these effects was significant. Body weight, egg production and food intake were unaffected and no liver haemorrhages were noted. 4. The maintenance metabolisable energy (ME) requirement of control and treated birds, estimated from short-term energy balance measurements, was 474 kJ/kg0.75 d; net availability of ME in both treatments was 0.85.     

槲皮素对蛋鸡胆固醇代谢的影响

采用单因素试验设计,选体重和产蛋率相近的29周龄蛋鸡240只,随机分为4组,每组6个重复,每重复10只鸡。在玉米-豆粕型饲粮基础上添加0、0.02%、0.04%和0.06%槲皮素,进行8周的饲养试验。研究槲皮素对蛋鸡的血脂、鸡蛋胆固醇和甘油三酯、肝脏胆固醇和甘油三酯、血清雌激素和胰岛素的影响。结果表明,与对照组相比,0.04%槲皮素可显著降低血清甘油三酯含量(P<0.05);0.02%、0.04%槲皮素极显著降低蛋黄胆固醇含量(P<0.01),三个剂量槲皮素均可显著降低肝脏胆固醇含量(P<0.05),但对肝脏和蛋黄甘油三酯含量无显著影响(P>0.05);0.04%槲皮素可显著提高血清胰岛素和雌二醇含量(P<0.05)。由此可见,一定剂量槲皮素能降低鸡蛋中胆固醇含量,最适添加量为0.04%。     

Effect of laying on food and water intake in dwarf and normal hens

1. Irrespective of whether the hen carried the dwarfing gene, dw, food intake on days when there was ovulation and oviposition was higher than on days when there was only oviposition.

2. The “ overconsumption “ in dw hens was greater than in the Dw hens.

3. Food intake and shell thickness were correlated, the relationship being particularly close in dw hens.

4. There was a consistent and positive correlation between food intake and weight of egg laid on the same day in both Dw and dw hens.     

Restricting energy intake of laying hens: Effects of different patterns of restriction and rehabilitation

1. Light hybrids were subjected to ten treatments, consisting of different timing, length and severity of energy restriction alternating with periods of unrestricted feeding, between 24 and 68 weeks of age.

2. The pattern of restriction had no direct effect but affected egg production indirectly through its influence on overall energy intake.

3. Groups fed ad libitum throughout laid more and heavier eggs than any restricted group.

4. A decrease in daily egg output of about 4 g was associated with each 100 kJ reduction in daily metabolisable energy intake.     

大豆低聚糖对蛋鸡脂质代谢和抗氧化能力的影响

选择240只34周龄的健康商品代海兰褐壳蛋鸡,随机分为4组,每组3个重复,每个重复20只鸡,分别在其日粮中添加0%、0.1%、0.2%和0.3%的纯度为30%的大豆低聚糖,探讨其对产蛋高峰期蛋鸡脂质代谢和抗氧化能力的影响.试验期为56 d.结果表明:添加大豆低聚糖可以降低蛋鸡血清中总胆固醇(T-CHO)(P<0.05)、甘油三酯(TG)(P>0.05)和低密度脂蛋白胆固醇(LDL-C)水平(P<0.05),提高高密度脂蛋白胆固醇(HDL-C)水平(P<0.05),以0.30%添加组效果最好;添加大豆低聚糖可以提高蛋鸡血清中超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)含量(P<0.05),降低丙二醛(MDA)含量(P>0.05).     

黑皮质素受体4对采食和能量代谢调控机制的研究进展

黑皮质素受体(MCRs)有5种亚型(MC1R~MC5R),在机体各组织中分布,具有不同的生理功能。其中主要参与采食和能量代谢调节的受体是黑皮质素受体4(MC4R),它能够通过多条信号通路调节采食和能量代谢,并且在由MC4R突变体介导的2条信号传导通路中观察到由同一配体引起的偏置信号传导。本文综述了MC4R对动物采食和能量代谢的调控作用及机制,并阐述了MC4R突变对其功能的影响。     

Effects of environmental temperature on heat production associated with food intake and on abdominal temperature in laying hens.

An experiment was carried out to verify the relationship between the heat production associated with food intake and environmental temperature. Four laying hens were trained to eat two meals per day and were kept under artificial illumination with dark, dim and light periods. 2. Metabolic heat production was measured using two open-circuit respiratory chambers. Abdominal temperatures were measured, using thermocouples, at environmental temperatures of 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32 and 36 degrees C and at food intakes of 90, 60, 30 and 0 g/d. 3. The rate of heat production was dependent on both environmental temperature and food intake. Increasing environmental temperature resulted in a decrease in total metabolic rate at any food intake, indicating that heat production associated with food intake was not directly linked with thermoregulation at low environmental temperatures. 4. Abdominal temperature varied little with either food intake or environmental temperature below 28 degrees C. Above 28 degrees C, abdominal temperature increased with both environmental temperature and quantity of food, indicating that the heat production associated with food intake adds to the heat load at high environmental temperatures. 5. Both heat production and abdominal temperature declined with decreasing light intensity and increased before feeding time. These effects were considered to result from changes in physical activity.     

蛋鸡产蛋后期的营养调控

蛋鸡产蛋后期精准的营养调控可延缓蛋鸡的衰老,延长产蛋期,提高经济效益.本文从能量、蛋白质、维生素、矿物元素的营养需要等方面对蛋鸡产蛋后期的营养调控进行总结,以期能够对产蛋鸡后期的营养调控提供参考.     

The effect of egg formation and laying on the food and water intake of brown leghorn hens

Food and water intakes of four caged Brown Leghorn hens were studied on a daily and hourly basis in relation to egg formation. In addition the food intake of two similar hens was studied using a Skinner box which provided a more detailed record of ingestive behaviour in a non‐social situation in which social interactions might not mask the relationship between food intake and physiological needs. Food intake was greater on days on which ovulation occurred than on days during which there was neither ovulation nor oviposition. Water intake was greater on days during which ovulation occurred than on days with oviposition but no ovulation. On this latter type of day (laying day) food intake was greater than on days without ovulation and oviposition (resting day). Both food and water intakes were depressed for 1 to 2 h before oviposition, but ingestion increased during the hour of laying and remained high for 1 to 2 h.     

葛根粉对林地蛋鸡产蛋性能和脂代谢的影响

文章旨在评估药用原料对林地饲养蛋鸡产蛋性能、蛋品质和脂代谢相关指标的影响.试验将570只产蛋率接近的40周龄海兰褐壳蛋鸡随机分为3组,每组5个重复,每个重复38只鸡.在林地饲养条件下,蛋鸡每天有1个小时开放活动时间(各重复均有特定划分的区域),试验8周内自由采食以玉米和豆粕为主的日粮,3组日粮分别添加0、50和100?...     

Effects of moderate energy restriction on light and medium hybrid laying hens

1. Two light and two medium hybrid strains were fed, from 32 to 48 and from 56 to 68 weeks of age, ad libitum or approximately 89%, 85% and 80% of the ad libitum intake; from 48 to 56 weeks all the birds were fed ad libitum.

2. A daily energy restriction of 11 to 13% in the first period, resulted in the rate of lay being depressed by nearly 11% points for one light hybrid strain and by more than 5% points for the medium hybrids while the corresponding depressions in egg weight were 4% and 2%.

3. During rehabilitation egg output was similar for controls and restriction treatments, though that of the most severely restricted groups remained slightly depressed.

4. Energy restriction of about 8% during the second period depressed rate of lay by about 3% points and egg weight by about 2%.     

调节胚胎代谢对蛋鸡激素、抗氧化及产蛋性能的影响

应用VE、VC及普鲁卡因作为胚胎调节剂对蛋鸡胚胎生长发育进行调控。225枚种蛋随机分为3组,即对照组,不采取任何处理;试验1组,采用（78%VE14μL＋25%VC20μL）/枚;试验2组,采用（78%VE14μL＋25%VC20μL＋2%普鲁卡因56μL）/枚;于入孵前,距离种蛋钝端1/4近气室处,经酒精消毒,将调节剂液注射到种蛋胚盘附近,探讨其对蛋鸡内分泌水平、抗氧化性能、免疫性能及生产性能的影响。结果表明：与对照组相比,15周龄蛋鸡激素水平,1组卵泡刺激素（FSH）、促黄体生成素（LH）水平均极显著提高（P〈0.01）;2组甲状腺素（T4）水平显著提高（P〈0.01）。39周龄时,1、2组T4水平显著升高（P〈0.05或P〈0.01）,2组孕酮（P）、胰高血糖素水平显著提高（P〈0.05）;抗氧化性能,试验组血清和肝脏中丙二醛（MDA）含量均不同程度地降低,其中2组血清MDA显著降低（P〈0.05）,其余指标差异不显著;脂类代谢方面,试验2组蛋黄胆固醇降低16.58%（P〈0.05）,1组蛋黄粗脂肪降低13.51%（P〈0.05）。对新城疫（ND）疫苗免疫的影响,试验组在注射ND疫苗后7、14、28 d抗体效价不同程度地提高,其中1组在14、28 d时抗体效价差异极显著（P〈0.01）。此外,0 d,1组的抗体效价比2组提高58.35%,差异显著（P〈0.05）;28 d,1组的抗体效价比试验2组提高29.03%（P〈0.01）;其他时间点2个试验组间差异不显著。在22~39周龄,试验1、2组平均蛋重和总产蛋量都不同程度地提高,1组尤为显著（P〈0.01或P〈0.05）,而试验组料蛋比均显著性降低（P〈0.05）。因此,通过调节胚胎代谢能明显改善出壳后蛋鸡的内分泌水平及抗氧化性能,提高产蛋性能。     

Use of limited daily access to food in measuring the heat production associated with food intake in laying hens

1. Two experiments were carried out to determine the heat production associated with food intake in laying hens allowed access to food for one (experiment 2) or two hours (experiment 1) daily. 2. In experiment 1, heat production in the fed state was measured for two successive days after 46 h of food deprivation. The rate of heat production in the fasting state was measured from 47 to 69 h after feeding. 3. In experiment 2, heat production was measured at 4 fixed food intakes: 100, 70, 40 and 0 g/bird. Heat production associated with food intake, eating activity, net availability of ME and maintenance ME requirement was estimated. 4. Heat production after 46 h of food deprivation did not differ from that after 22 h of deprivation. In the hens receiving 100 g of food, heat production reached the pre-feeding level by 20 h after eating; the hens with lower food intakes reached the pre-feeding level more rapidly. It is suggested that the heat production associated with feeding had been eliminated by 22 h after eating. 5. Heat production associated with feeding was 16% of ME intake. Because the total energy cost of eating activity was only 0.8% of ME intake, the heat production associated with food intake in the limited-access hens came mainly from the effects of digestion, absorption and metabolism of the ingesta. 6. The net availability of ME was estimated to be 0.84. The estimated maintenance ME requirement was 569.6 kJ/kgW0.75 d.     

The relationship between food and water intake and the effects of water restriction on laying brown leghorn hens

1. In 10 laying Brown Leghorn hens, hourly patterns of food and water intake followed each other closely, both throughout the day and in relation to oviposition time.

2. Only half the birds showed significant (P < 0.05) positive correlations between food and water intake on a daily basis, but all of them showed highly significant correlations on an hourly basis. However, on average, about 20% of both the daily and the hourly variation in water intake could be accounted for by variation in food intake, and vice versa.

3. Restricting the daily water supply of each bird to 90% of its ad libitum intake, for a period of 6 weeks, caused a predicted reduction in daily food intake with only 3 out of 10 birds, but a very precise reduction to the level predicted with the overall mean food intake of all the birds. This suggests that water restriction may be a good way of controlling the food consumption of groups of birds but not of individuals.

4. Although egg production did not differ significantly between the ad libitum and water restriction periods, it did decline in the second half of the restriction period, at a time when the birds were gaining weight. This appears to confirm the widely‐held view that water restriction cannot be used to control the body weight of laying birds without it first affecting egg production. It is concluded that water restriction has little or no practical application for layers, but may be of value for reducing the growth rate of young birds in order to delay sexual maturity.     

Effects of battery gage shape and dietary energy regulation on the performance of laying hens offered diets containing dried poultry manure

1. About 3000 medium‐weight hybrid chicks were used in a factorial experiment involving two “chick” treatments: diets containing 0 and 50 g dried poultry manure (DPM)/kg; three “grower” treatments, diets with and without 50 g DPM/kg given ad libitum and regulated amounts of the diet with DPM; five “layer” treatments: diets with 0, 100 or 200 g DPM/kg given ad libitum and regulated amounts of diets containing 110 and 220 g DPM/kg and two shapes of layer cages: deep (conventional) and shallow.

2. Chick diets had no significant effects on rearing or subsequent laying performance.

3. Food‐regulated pullets were 7% lighter than pullets given the DPM diet ad libitum at 18 weeks but consumed 12.5% less food; growing treatments had no significant effect on subsequent egg production.

4. Hens housed in shallow cages laid 10.3 eggs/bird‐housed more than those in deep cages, produced 3.8% greater egg mass, consumed 2.7% less food and produced fewer damaged (cracked, broken and hair‐cracked) eggs (P< 0.001).

5. DPM‐containing layer diets had no adverse effects on egg production, or mortality; with 100 g DPM/kg efficiency of food conversion (EFC) was better than with 0 or 200 g/kg (P< 0.001).

6. Reduction of the energy intake of L110R and L220R hens with diets containing 110 and 220 g DPM/kg by 8.2 and 9.0% respectively, reduced the number of eggs laid/hen‐housed by 6 and 10.7 but improved the EFG (P< 0.001); there was no significant interaction between cage shape and energy regulation.     

Energy balance of laying hens selected on residual food consumption

1. Energy balance of adult hens divergently selected for high (R + ) or low (R- ) residual food consumption was investigated using indirect calorimetry. Three experiments were conducted: feeding behaviour of individual hens, hens having free access to food or fasting and hens tube-fed at 70, 100 or 130% of the control intake of both lines. 2. R + hens ate significantly more than R- (+ 48%). This difference was maximum at the onset of the light (+ 120%) and not significant during the rest of the light period. Although both lines spent the same total time eating, R + hens exhibited more frequent but shorter meals than R- ones, suggesting a higher feeding activity in R + hens. 3. True metabolisable energy (TME) intake was 28% greater in R+ than in R- birds. Basal heat production did not differ significantly between genotypes. Heat increment of feeding (HI) or diet-induced thermogenesis was significantly enhanced in R + birds: + 23.9 vs 13.7 kJ/100 kJ TME intake in R- . 4. When tube-fed and placed in darkness, restricted-fed R + hens had the same HI as R- birds. When fed at 100% and 130% of control intake, R + hens demonstrated a regulatory thermogenesis, which allowed them to dissipate the excess of energy ingested compared to R- hens. 5. No significant modification was observed in plasma triglyceride, phospholipid, uric acid, glucose or insulin concentrations between lines, suggestive of the use of similar thermogenic pathways. While plasma triiodothyronine (T3) concentrations did not differ between genotypes, plasma thyroxine (T4) appeared higher in unfed R + birds and equal in fed conditions in both lines. 6. A regulatory part of HI allowed R + hens to get rid of their excessive energy intake. An increased turnover of lipids could be involved.     

能量水平对粉壳蛋鸡生产性能及蛋品质量的影响

为研究不同能量水平对产蛋性能和蛋品质量的影响,试验选用504只194日龄罗曼粉蛋鸡,试验共设3个处理,每个处理5个重复,每个重复33～35只,分别饲喂三个能量水平(10.88、11.09、11.30 MJ/kg)的日粮。试验共进行30 d。试验结果表明,各处理组在采食量、产蛋率、平均蛋重、料蛋比、蛋壳强度和哈夫单位等方面差异不显著;表明能量水平在50～100 kcal/kg范围内波动,对蛋鸡生产性能和蛋品质量未产生显著影响。