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Effect of inorganic phosphate source and dietary phosphorus level on laying hen performance and eggshell quality.

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate laying hen performance when fed two sources of inorganic phosphorus. In Experiment 1, a regular and a coarse form of defluorinated phosphate and one source of dicalcium phosphate were used in diets calculated to contain either .4 or .5% total phosphorus (.2 or .3% nonphytate phosphorus). In Experiment 2, either the regular form of defluorinated phosphate or the dicalcium phosphate source was fed in diets calculated to contain either .4, .5, .6, or .7% total phosphorus (.2, .3, .4, or .5% nonphytate phosphorus). In Experiment 1, hens fed .5% total dietary phosphorus consumed more feed and produced heavier eggs (P less than or equal to .05). Hens fed the .4% dietary phosphorus level lost more weight during the experiment (P less than or equal to .05). No differences among dietary treatments existed for egg specific gravity. A significant source by level interaction occurred for the farm classification of thin-shelled, cracked, or broken eggs and for the total of these classifications. In Experiment 2, egg production, feed consumption, egg weight, and egg mass were depressed (P less than or equal to .05) at the .4% total dietary phosphorus level. Hens fed the .4 and .7% total dietary phosphorus level laid eggs with the highest and lowest egg specific gravity, respectively. This trend was inverse to the effect of these phosphorus levels on egg weights. A significant source by level interaction occurred for the farm classification of thin shell and for the total percentage of eggs with exterior defects. At the .4% total phosphorus level, the regular form of defluorinated phosphate produced eggs with a significantly greater thin shell classification than the dicalcium phosphate source. Hens fed the dicalcium phosphate source produced a higher percentage of compressed-sided and misshapen eggs.

Animals↗

Dietary zinc methionine effect on eggshell quality of hens drinking saline water.

In two experiments individually caged 60-wk-old laying hens were exposed to daily temperatures ranging between 18 and 35 C and given various dietary and drinking water treatments. In Experiment 1 these were: 1) basal diet and town water; 2) basal diet and town water supplemented with 2 g NaCl/L; 3) basal diet supplemented with .2 g zinc methionine (Zinpro-200)/kg diet and town water; or 4) basal diet supplemented with .2 g zinc methionine/kg and town water supplemented with 2 g NaCl/L. In Experiment 2, Treatments 1 and 2 were the same as in Experiment 1. Birds on Treatments 3 and 4 received the town water supplemented with 2 g NaCl/L and the basal diet supplemented with either .5 g zinc methionine/kg (Treatment 3) or .28 g ZnSO4H2O/kg to approximate the same dietary zinc concentration in Treatment 3 (Treatment 4). In both experiments, dietary zinc methionine plus 2 g NaCl/L in the drinking water significantly improved shell breaking strength over those birds on the 2 g NaCl/L with no zinc methionine supplementation. This same pattern occurred for shell weight, shell weight per unit of surface area, and percentage of shell defects. There were no improvements in the parameters measured from the supplementation of ZnSO4. The zinc methionine compound apparently was effective in overcoming the negative influence of the added 2 g NaCl/L of town water.

Animal Feed↗

Tonic immobility reaction and heterophil to lymphocyte ratio in hens from three Spanish breeds laying pink eggshells.

Tonic immobility reaction and heterophil:lymphocyte ratio were studied in hens laying pink eggs from three brown egg Spanish breeds (Barred Red Vasca, Red Vasca, Red Villafranquina). There was no significant difference among breeds in terms of tonic immobility duration or heterophil:lymphocyte ratio. Tonic immobility duration was significantly shorter in the pink (220 + or - 23 s) than in the normal brown shell group of hens (416 + or - 23 s; P < 0.001). Differences were consistent across the breeds, tonic immobility of hens laying pink eggs being shorter than that of control hens in all three breeds. Birds of the group with pink shells appeared to be less fearful when defined by either the duration of tonic immobility or the number of inductions to achieve it. There was a significant difference in the heterophil:lymphocyte ratio between the two groups of hens (P < 0.001), mean value being significantly higher in the pink shell (0.73 + or - 0.03) than in the control group (0.35 + or - 0.03). The heterophil:lymphocyte ratio from the pink shell hens increased significantly in the three breeds. Hens that laid pink eggs had significant heterophilia and lymphopenia (P < 0.001). Thus, hens laying pink eggs were less fearful and more stressed than control hens, as indicated by the tonic immobility reaction and the heterophil:lymphocyte ratio, respectively. A significant negative correlation was found between both measurements (r = A).28; P < 0.01). A similar significant negative association (P < 0.001) was found between pink shell color and shell strength.

Analysis of Variance↗

The effect of different levels of vitamin C and cholecalciferol with adequate or marginal levels of dietary calcium on performance and eggshell quality of laying hens.

Three experiments were conducted to determine whether shell quality, bone mineralization, and other production traits could be improved by adding vitamin C (ascorbic acid) to laying hen diets. The period of each experiment was 12 wk. Experiment 1 consisted of a 2 x 2 x 3 factorial design with two levels of Ca (2.8 and 3.8%), two levels of cholecalciferol (vitamin D3; 2,200 and 4,400 IU/kg diet), and three levels of vitamin C (0, 125, and 250 ppm). Experiment 2 consisted of a 2 x 3 x 2 factorial design with two levels of Ca (2.8 and 3.8%), three levels of vitamin D3 (250, 500, and 2,000 IU/kg diet), and two levels of vitamin C (0 and 250 ppm). Experiment 3 consisted of a 2 x 4 factorial design with two sources of vitamin D3 (12.5 micrograms vitamin D3/kg diet or 12.5 micrograms 25-OH-D3/kg diet) and four levels of vitamin C (0, 250, 500, and 1,000 ppm). Calcium level was kept constant at 3.5% for all the diets in Experiment 3. Production performance was not influenced by dietary treatments in Experiment 1. In Experiment 2, feed conversion was improved (P < 0.05) due to increasing the dietary Ca, and egg weight and egg size were increased (P < 0.05) due to adding 250 ppm vitamin C to the diet. In experiment 3, albumen quality was increased by the addition of 1,000 ppm vitamin C to the diet. Egg specific gravity was increased in Experiments 1 and 2 only, due to increasing the Ca level (P < 0.05). In Experiment 2, increasing the Ca level and increasing the vitamin D3 level from 250 to 2,000 ppm reduced (P < 0.05) the number of cracked eggs, but incidence of cracked eggs was increased with the addition of 250 ppm vitamin C to the diet. In Experiment 1, plasma level of 1,25(OH)2D3 was greater (P < 0.05) for hens fed 2.8 than 3.8% Ca, but blood acidbase balance was not influenced by dietary regimens. Bone ash was not influenced by dietary treatments in any of the experiments. The data indicated that a supplemental level of vitamin C had no beneficial effects on shell quality and bone mineralization under the conditions of the current experiments.

Aging↗

[Polychromatism in eggshell or domestic quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica). IV. Porphyrin biosynthesis in uteri of phenotypes belonging to the dominant form].

With the introduction of delta-aminolevulinic acid, uterin extracts, in vitro, can synthesize porphyrins (uroporphyrin, 62%; coproporphyrin, 27%; and protoporphyrin, 11%). At the stage where the uterus contains a white egg, various phenotypes in the dominant form are capable of synthesizing with the introduction of delta-aminolevulinic acid, the same quantity of porphyrins. These results are interpreted, assuming the existence of differences in the activity of the enzymes involved during the laying cycle.

Aminolevulinic Acid↗