Supplemental thyroid hormones and molting in turkey breeder hens

Department of Poultry Science, North Carolina State University, Releigh 27695-7608, USA.

The objective of the current study was to determine whether thyroid physiology may affect molting time in turkeys. Two trials using approximately 144 hens were conducted to elucidate thyroidal factors that limit the molting process. Thyroid hormones or a thyroid blocker (thiouracil) were given to the hens during a molt by supplementing the diet with thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), or thiouracil. Supplementing with T4 reduced the number of days to return to egg production, whereas supplementing with thiouracil or T3 prolonged days to first egg. The observations support previous suggestions of separate functions for T3 and T4 during molting. As had been observed many times previously, the feeding of thiouracil delayed the molt but did not completely stop the molting process. The hens fed thiouracil returned to 50% egg production nearly 10 d after the control group, whereas T3 prolonged the return to 50% egg production nearly 1 wk later. The data indicate the endogenous low levels of T4, but not T3 in modern strains of turkeys may contribute to a relatively longer molting period of turkey breeder hens induced to molt out of season.