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An experimental study of the utilisation, by the laying hen, of dietary energy partially supplied as animal fat |
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| Authors: | N Jackson H R Kirkpatrick R B Fulton |
| Institution: | 1. Department of Agricultural Chemistry , Queen's University , Belfast, BT9 6BB;2. Ministry of Agriculture , Northern Ireland;3. Poultry Department , Loughry Agricultural College , Cookstown, Co. Tyrone |
| Abstract: | Experiments were carried out at two centres in which laying hens were fed diets containing up to 28.25 per cent tallow and in which an attempt was made to maintain a fairly constant calorie : protein ratio. The most satisfactory production was obtained on a diet containing 3.5 per cent added fat in one experiment and 7.5 per cent added fat in the other experiment. Food conversion efficiency (kg food/kg eggs) increased with increasing dietary fat content. The efficiency of ME utilisation (Mcal/kg egg) decreased with increasing dietary ME content. The data indicate that at the higher levels of fat addition the net utilisation of ME was decreased. In both experiments mean egg weight was increased by the addition of tallow to the diet whilst at the highest level of addition there was a very high mortality. |
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