Poult. Sci.
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Kim, W.
Right arrow Articles by Ricke, S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Kim, W.
Right arrow Articles by Ricke, S.
Poultry Science, Vol 84, Issue 4, 522-527
Copyright © 2005 by Poultry Science Association

Articles

Comparisons of molting diets on skeletal quality and eggshell parameters in hens at the end of the second egg-laying cycle

WK Kim, LM Donalson, P Herrera, LF Kubena, DJ Nisbet, and SC Ricke

Department of Poultry Science, Texas A & M University, College Station, Texas 77843-2472, USA.

A study was conducted to evaluate skeletal quality and eggshell parameters of molted hens at the end of the second laying cycle. Sixty Single Comb White Leghorn hens were used for this study. There were 2 controls and 4 molting treatments: full-fed control 1 (82 wk old; FF1), full-fed control 2 (122 wk old; FF2), feed withdrawal (FW), 100% alfalfa (A100), 90% alfalfa/10% layer ration (A90), and 70% alfalfa/30% layer ration (A70). At the end of the second laying cycle (approximately 122 wk of age), hens were euthanized by CO2. Tibia and femur were collected. There were no differences in bone parameters between FF1 and FF2 (P > 0.05) hens. There were no differences in bone parameters among the different molting dietary treatments (P > 0.05). In the eggshell parameters, the FF2 hens exhibited heavier egg weights than the FF1 (P < 0.05), whereas the percentage shell and egg production of the FF1 birds were significantly higher than those of the FF2 birds. Shell weights of the FW and A90 birds were significantly heavier than that of the A100. The correlation analysis showed that overall bone parameters were negatively correlated with eggshell parameters. Bone parameters were highly correlated with each other. Shell weight, percentage shell, and shell thickness were positively correlated with each other, whereas egg weight was negatively correlated with percentage shell. These results suggest that age of hens and molting dietary treatments influence egg parameters, and eggshell formation is closely related to bone metabolism in laying hens.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Poult. Sci.Home page
W. K. Kim, T. M. Herfel, C. S. Dunkley, P. Y. Hester, T. D. Crenshaw, and S. C. Ricke
The Effects of Alfalfa-Based Molt Diets on Skeletal Integrity of White Leghorns
Poult. Sci., November 1, 2008; 87(11): 2178 - 2185.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Poult. Sci.Home page
C. S. Dunkley, J. L. McReynolds, K. D. Dunkley, L. F. Kubena, D. J. Nisbet, and S. C. Ricke
Molting in Salmonella Enteritidis-Challenged Laying Hens Fed Alfalfa Crumbles. III. Blood Plasma Metabolite Response
Poult. Sci., December 1, 2007; 86(12): 2492 - 2501.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Poult. Sci.Home page
W. K. Kim, L. M. Donalson, S. A. Bloomfield, H. A. Hogan, L. F. Kubena, D. J. Nisbet, and S. C. Ricke
Molt Performance and Bone Density of Cortical, Medullary, and Cancellous Bone in Laying Hens During Feed Restriction or Alfalfa-Based Feed Molt
Poult. Sci., September 1, 2007; 86(9): 1821 - 1830.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2005 by the Poultry Science Association.