Metabolizable energy levels for semi-heavy laying hens at the second production cycle

Abstract

-This study was carried out to evaluate the energy levels in the diet to obtain better performance rates and quality of eggs from laying hens in the second production cycle. One hundred and eighty Bovans Goldline laying hens with 62 weeks of age were used during four 28-day periods. A completely randomized experimental design was used with four metabolizable energy levels (2,650, 2,725, 2,800, 2,875 and 2,950 kcal/kg), each with six replicates of six birds. The energy level of diet did not affect the weight of the egg, yolk, albumen and eggshell, the percentages of yolk, albumen and eggshell, yolk color and egg specific gravity. Feed intake, egg production, egg mass and feed conversion per egg mass and per dozen eggs increased significantly with increasing levels of metabolizable energy. Feed intake decreased linearly as the energy level in the diet increased. The metabolizable energy levels showed a quadratic effect on egg production, egg mass and feed conversion per egg mass and per dozen eggs. The metabolizable energy level of 2,830 kcal/kg was the most appropriate to promote better performance and quality of eggs from laying hens in the second production cycle.

Effect of dietary phosphorus and restricted feeding on performance, egg quality and serum biochemical traits of laying hens at the second production phase

“…They also proposed that moderate quantitative feed restriction could not have negative effect on egg production performance, egg weight and it can be used for reducing feed and production costs and also get profit maximization. However, during the laying stage, the energy is the most important factor to ensure optimal production rates (Costa et al, 2009).Therefore, the reduction of production performance in laying hens in this study may be attributed due to the daily imposition of restricted feeding, which might be related to the limited daily energy, calcium, phosphorus and other nutrient intake of laying hens.…”

Effects of chromium yeast supplementation on productive and metabolic responses of laying hens fed diets containing different energy levels

“…Thus, Cr supplementation can reduce body fat by either increasing energy expenditure or reducing calorie intake (Hasten, 1997). For poultry production, excessive fat can impair egg production (Costa et al, 2009). Striffler et al (1995) found that rats were more responsive to diets with high levels of energy supplemented with Cr.…”

Laying Performance of Wareng Chicken under Free Choice Feeding and Different Cage Density

“…Along with the increasing demand of native chicken products, nutrient requirements are also crucial as it can aff ect the economic effi ciency of husbandry. The sophisticated methods and procedures of preparing diets, like for modern chicken have been practiced successfully, resulting in a very close to the meeting of the bird's physiological status needs (Narváez-Solarte et al, 2005;Costa et al, 2009). However, it is required a higher operational cost with sophisticated equipments.…”