HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kim, W. K. Articles by Ricke, S. C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kim, W. K. Articles by Ricke, S. C.

The Effects of Alfalfa-Based Molt Diets on Skeletal Integrity of White Leghorns

W. K. Kim^*,1, T. M. Herfel, C. S. Dunkley^*,2, P. Y. Hester, T. D. Crenshaw and S. C. Ricke^*,3,4

^* Department of Poultry Science, Texas A&M University, College Station 77843-2472; Department of Animal Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison 53706; and Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907

⁴ Corresponding author: sricke{at}uark.edu

Sixty White Leghorn hens were assigned to 1 of 6 treatments: pretrial control (PC), full fed (FF), 9-d feed withdrawal (FW), 90% alfalfa-10% layer ration (A90), 80% alfalfa-20% layer ration (A80), and 70% alfalfa/30% layer ration (A70). For the PC, hens were killed and bones collected immediately before light restriction. The FF hens were also subjected to light restriction. After hens were fasted or fed different molting treatment diets for 9 d, they were fed a maintenance diet for 14 d. At 23 d postmolt, hens were killed and bones collected. Feed intakes per hen of the FF, A90, A80, and A70 treatments during a 9-d molting period were 97, 17, 44, and 46 g, respectively. Tibia dry weight of the PC was greater than the FF group. The PC group had significantly greater tibia ash weight than the FF, FW, A90, and A80 groups. Tibia ash concentration of the PC group was significantly greater than the FF, A90, and A80 groups. Humerus dry weights of the PC group were greater than the other groups except for hens on FW. Humerus ash weight was lower for FF hens as compared with PC hens, but other molting treatments had humerus ash weights similar to PC hens. Tibia mineral content and density of the PC were significantly greater than the other treatments. The FF group exhibited significantly lower humerus mineral content and density compared with those of the PC group. The PC and A70 hens exhibited significantly greater ultimate bending moment and ultimate stress compared with the FF and A90 hens. The modulus of elasticity of the PC hens was greater than that of the FF and A90. There were no significant differences in modulus of elasticity among the PC, FW, A80, and A70 hens. In conclusion, hens at 23 d postmolt experienced deterioration in skeletal integrity. This decrease in bone quality occurred in all molted hens. However, A70 and A80 alfalfa-fed hens retained mechanical properties of bones compared with the pretrial control.

Key Words: skeletal integrity • alfalfa • bone mineral density • molting • bone strength

¹ Current address: Department of Cardiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095.

² Current address: Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Tifton, GA 31793-0478.

³ Current address: Center for Food Safety-IFSE and Food Science Department, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72704-5690.