The effect of feeding hemp seed meal to laying hens

Seed of the hemp cultivar Unika-b was cold-pressed to obtain hemp seed meal (HSM) containing 307 g/kg crude protein and 164 g/kg ether extract (60 g/kg linoleic acid, 120 g/kg alpha-linolenic acid, 160 g/kg oleic acid, lesser amounts of palmitic, stearic, and gamma-linolenic acids). For 4 weeks, 102 43-week-old DeKalb Sigma hens were fed on isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets containing 0, 50, 100 or 200 g/kg HSM. Eggs were collected for fatty acid analysis during the fourth week of feeding these diets. No significant differences were found between feed treatments for egg production, feed consumption, feed efficiency, body weight change or egg quality. Increasing dietary inclusion of HSM produced eggs with lower concentrations of palmitic acid and higher concentrations of linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids.     

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.     

The effects of formic acid-treated shrimp meal on laying performance and egg quality in aged laying hens

An experiment was carried out to measure the suitability of using formic acid-treated shrimp meal (TSM) as a protein source for aged laying hens. Shrimp meal (SM), air-dried shrimp waste was treated with 3% formic acid (w/v) at room temperature for 20 min, sun-dried, ground to pass through 1.0 mm mesh screen and then ready to use as the TSM. A total of 56 Single Comb White Leghorn hens, 85 wk of age, were placed in individual cages and assigned randomly into 7 dietary groups of 8 birds each. A control diet, diets containing 5, 10, and 15% SM and diets containing 5, 10, and 15% TSM were prepared. Diets and water were given ad libitum during the 30-d experimental period. Hen-day egg production, egg mass, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were deteriorated with increasing levels of the SM in the diets (P < 0.05). In contrast, these parameters were unchanged with increasing levels of the TSM in diets and compatible with the control group. No significant improvements were observed in exterior or interior egg quality among the dietary groups, except for eggshell weight, strength and yolk color, which were significantly increased in SM and TSM groups when compared to the values in control group (P < 0.05). It is concluded that inclusion of TSM up to 15% in laying hen diets may have beneficial effects on laying performance along with improved eggshell quality and yolk color, and suggested that TSM is a promising combined source of protein and calcium in aged laying hens.     

棉粕源复合发酵饲料对产蛋鸡生产性能的影响

试验选用1 152只50周龄左右的海兰褐健康蛋鸡随机分成4组,每组设3个重复,每个重复96只鸡,研究棉粕源发酵饲料对产蛋鸡生产性能的影响。第Ⅰ组为对照组,饲喂基础日粮;第Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ组在基础日粮营养水平基本一致的基础上分别添加5%、10%、15%的棉粕源发酵饲料。结果表明:试验第Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ组与第Ⅰ组相比产蛋率均有所提高,其中第Ⅲ组产蛋率最高;平均蛋重、产蛋量、料蛋比均高于对照组但均未达到差异显著水平(P0.05);采食量试验组分别比对照组提高了1.77%(P0.01)、8.83%(P0.01)、8.80%(P0.01);腹泻率、死淘率试验组与对照组差异不显著(P0.05)。由此可见,在蛋鸡日粮中用发酵棉粕代替豆粕,可提高饲料利用率及经济效益,以添加10%的效果最佳。     

菜籽粕对蛋鸡生产性能与屠宰性能的影响

选择756羽开产50周左右的罗曼蛋鸡,随机均分7组,对照组使用船牌公司配合饲料,试验1～6组分别添加7.5%、8.0%、8.5%、9.0%、9.5%和10.0%的双低菜籽粕,进行饲养试验与生长测定,探索改善蛋鸡生产性能与蛋品质含量的双低菜籽饼(粕)最佳使用量,为充分利用贵州省丰富的菜籽饼(粕)资源奠定基础。结果显示,日粮中添加10%以下的双低菜籽粕对蛋鸡的采食、生长性能、蛋的性状均无不良影响,反而会提高蛋鸡的产蛋率,增加蛋重、降低料蛋比,其中试验4组的料蛋比(2.30)最低,平均日采食量也较低,平均蛋重较重,产蛋率也偏高。研究表明,蛋鸡日粮中添加9.0%双低菜籽粕对提高蛋鸡生长性能与产蛋性能具有良好效果。     

The calcium and phosphorus requirements of laying hens

Two experiments were carried out with a modern hybrid laying strain to establish the calcium requirement for maximum egg production. The first experiment, with three calcium concentrations of 1.7, 2.8 and 3.9 per cent indicated that with 0.55 Per cent dietary phosphorus the requirement for calcium was between 1.7 per cent and 2.8 per cent. Dietary phosphorus supplements added to the mixed cereal diets containing 0.55 per cent phosphorus were without effect on production or the conclusions reached. In a subsequent experiment with four dietary calcium concentrations between 2.3 and 3.3 per cent there was no significant improvement in egg production above 2.6 per cent calcium.

In both experiments the lower production at the lower levels of calcium concentration was associated with reduced food intake. Measurements made in the first experiment showed an increasing shell thickness round the equator of the egg with increasing dietary calcium. In this experiment also a small practical test concerned with cracking of the egg shell in boiling water, indicated that incidence of cracks did not alter as the laying cycle progressed and that resistance to cracking was greatest at the highest dietary calcium concentration.     

The effects of lindane on laying hens

Feeding lindane, in capsule form, to laying hens at a rate equivalent to 100 mg/kg food for 1 or 2 weeks had little effect on egg production. Longer periods of feeding resulted in a 20 to 30% decrease in the rate of egg production. When treatment was stopped after 4 weeks, the birds recovered and egg production returned to its original rate within a month. The production of flocks treated for 6 weeks or longer became permanently depressed since some birds went out of lay and failed to resume production when the treatment was terminated. Egg shell thickness, egg and yolk weight and hatchability were not significantly affected by the treatment.     

Influence of dietary calcium and phosphorus on metabolism and production in laying hens

1. The effects of different dietary concentrations of calcium (24 to 56.9 g/kg) and phosphorus (4.5 to 14.2 g/kg) on production and some aspects of metabolism were studied in laying hens.

2. Treatments did not affect egg numbers, food consumption, conversion efficiency of food to egg, bodyweight gain or mortality.

3. Increasing dietary calcium (Ca) significantly increased plasma Ca and inorganic phosphorus (P), breaking strength at the radius and egg specific gravity and significantly decreased plasma alkaline phosphatase and egg weight.

4. Increasing dietary phosphorus increased plasma P and decreased egg specific gravity significantly.

5. Plasma Ca, P and alkaline phosphatase and radius breaking strength were suitable indices of the Ca status of the hens.     

Long‐term feeding effects of dietary protein levels on egg production,immunocompetence and plasma amino acids of laying hens in subtropical condition

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of protein levels on production performance, immune response, liver triglyceride and plasma amino acids profile of laying hens during 21–48 weeks of age. Two groups of commercial hens (Babcock B‐308) were fed with diets with different crude protein levels (14% and 18% CP). The high protein diet (18% CP) significantly increased production performance, essential amino acid intake, spleen weight (% of body weight), ND‐titre (haemagglutination‐inhibition test), serum albumin (g/dl), serum alpha‐globulin and plasma essential amino acids (except histidine) and decreased liver triglyceride (mg/g liver) in relation to the low protein diet (14% CP). In long‐term effect, therefore, this study suggested that adequate dietary condition of amino acids, particularly methionine and branch‐chain amino acids is necessary for sustaining normal immunocompetence and achieving maximum production performance.     

Low protein rations based on wheat and soybean meal or corn and soybean meal for laying hens 1

Rations in which all the protein was supplied by wheat and soybean meal or corn and soybean meal were fed to White Leghorn hens for 252 d. Rations based on wheat‐soybean meal which contained 14% protein supported a high and efficient rate of egg production when supplemented with sufficient lysine and methionine to ensure minimum intakes of 600 and 300 mg per hen‐day, respectively. Similarly, corn‐soybean meal rations which contained 12 to 14% protein and were properly supplemented with methionine and lysine supported satisfactory laying hen performance. Average egg size of hens fed on rations based on wheat was slightly smaller than that of hens fed on corn‐based rations. Lysine supplementation did not alleviate this.

The data re‐emphasise that protein concentration of laying hen rations can be reduced from the commonly used 15.5 and 16.5% levels to 14% without impairing productive performance, provided that rations based on wheat and soybean meal or corn and soybean meal are supplemented judiciously with lysine and/or methionine.     

The effect of energy restriction on laying hens given either a single morning or single evening meal

1. Feeding individually caged laying hens restricted amounts of food as a single evening meal improved egg output by 4% compared with a similar single morning meal.

2. Egg outputs for White Leghorns fed ad libitum or restricted by 11 or 15% in energy intake were 48.lb3, 51.lb0 or 47.lb9 g/d respectively.     

Evaluation of feeding spray-dried bovine plasma protein on production performance of laying hens exposed to high ambient temperatures

The purpose of this study was to evaluate feeding 2 levels of spray-dried bovine plasma protein (SDP) on production performance of laying hens subjected to high ambient temperatures. Two groups of 96 Hy-Line W-98 hens (38 wk of age) were housed in each of 2 environmentally controlled chambers. At 40 wk of age, all hens were fed 3 diet treatments consisting of (1) a control diet (0% SDP); (2) the control diet supplemented with 0.75% SDP; and (3) the control diet supplemented with 1.50% SDP. Hens in each chamber (8 cages of 4 hens per cage) were ad libitum fed 1 of each diet for 5 wk. The heat stress (HS) chamber was maintained at 21°C (wk 1), 29°C (wk 2), and 35°C (wk 3 to 5). The thermoneutral chamber was maintained at 21°C during wk 1 to 5. A significant main effect of week was observed for hens maintained in the HS chamber for egg production, egg weight, egg mass, and feed consumption, which resulted in acute heat stress causing a reduction in these parameters. Hens fed the 1.50% SDP diet in the HS chamber produced greater (P < 0.05) egg mass on average than hens fed the control or 0.75% SDP diet (wk 1 to 5). During the second week of acute HS (wk 4), hens fed the control and 1.50% SDP diets had greater (P < 0.05) egg production than those fed the 0.75% SDP diet. During wk 5, hens in the HS chamber that were fed the 1.50% SDP diet produced more (P < 0.05) eggs than those fed the control diet. Therefore, based on the results of this study, acute HS negatively affected short-term production performance. In addition, feeding hens an SDP-supplemented diet may have a slight positive effect on production performance when maintained in acute HS conditions.     

Studies on the energy and protein values of soya bean meal and two varieties of field beans using colostomised laying hens

Classical metabolisable energy values (at 90 per cent dry matter) for soya bean meal, Minor's tick bean meal and Throws MS bean meal determined in balance experiments using colostomised laying hens were 2.57, 2.47 and 2.39 kcal/g respectively. True digestibility coefficients for the crude protein of the beans were 90, 84 and 81 per cent respectively; the amino acid digestibility coefficients were generally close to those for crude protein.     

低豆粕日粮对产蛋鸡生产性能及蛋品质的影响

试验选用1 600只生产性能相同、体况良好的33周龄罗曼蛋种鸡,随机分为4组,在总蛋白质含量相同和满足必需氨基酸需要量的情况下,用价格较低的蛋白饲料取代蛋鸡日粮中豆粕,研究氨基酸平衡的低豆粕日粮对蛋种鸡生产性能和蛋品质的影响。结果表明:氨基酸平衡的低豆粕日粮对蛋鸡产蛋率、种蛋合格率、健雏率、蛋形指数、蛋比重、蛋壳厚度、哈氏单位等指标无显著影响(P>0.05),但当日粮中的豆粕含量降低8～15个百分点时,蛋种鸡的日平均蛋重、日采食量、受精率、孵化率等显著低于正常豆粕日粮(P<0.05),而考虑综合因素日粮中的豆粕含量降低8个百分点的第1组,与正常豆粕日粮相比,差异不显著(P>0.05),而且能降低饲料成本,可以提高蛋鸡养殖效益,具有实际意义。     

Effects of nanocalcium carbonate on egg production performance and plasma calcium of laying hens

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of nanocalcium carbonate (NCC) instead of calcium carbonate (CC) on egg production, egg weight, egg mass, FCR, blood calcium and egg quality characteristics in laying hens. A total of 120 laying hens were used in a 10‐weeks trial, from week 23 to 33 of age. Laying hens were randomly assigned to six treatments with four replications, five hens each. The experimental treatments involved replacing 50% of the CC in the diet by decreasing amounts of NCC and were T1 Basal diet (BD) with 8.06% CC; T2 (6.045% of CC as a negative control); T3 (4.03% of CC replaced by 2.015% NCC); T4 (4.03% of CC replaced by 1.01% NCC); T5 (4.03% of CC replaced by 0.252% NCC) and T6 (4.03 of CC replaced with 0.126%NCC).Egg weight was unaffected by dietary treatments (p > .05). However, the egg production percentage and egg mass in T6 were less than that of other treatments (p < .05). The laying hens in the control group had the best average feed conversion ratio (p < .05). Also, the lowest concentration of calcium in hens’ blood was recorded for birds fed T6 (p < .05). The best egg shell quality (relative egg shell weight and egg shell weight/surface) was observed in T1 (p < .05).Collectively, our results demonstrated that NCC could replace CC at a lower inclusion level but extreme reduction of calcium concentration in diets (to 1.43% Ca in the T6 group) reduced production performance, egg quality characteristics, Tibia thickness and blood calcium of laying hens.     

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。