Evaluation of different non-fasting molting methods on laying performance and egg quality during molting and post molting periods

The study evaluated different molt-inducing methods to achieve the main goal of molting in commercial layers during molting and post-molting periods. A total of 400 60-week-old Lohmann Brown layers were randomly divided into five groups (eight replicates of 10 birds for each group). Laying hens in the fasting control group received no diet from day 1 to day 10. The second group received a molt-inducing diet recommended by the breeding company. The third group received a wheat bran-based diet. The fourth group received a commercial layer diet with 8,000 ppm zinc (as zinc oxide, ZnO). The fifth group received an induced molting diet given to the second group with 8,000 ppm zinc, respectively. Egg production in the fasting control group and groups fed a diet with ZnO were significantly lower (p < 0.001) than those in groups fed the molt-inducing and wheat bran-based diets without ZnO during molting. Egg laying in the fasting control group was rapidly reduced and stopped on the 5.9th day of molting. In both groups having molt treatment with ZnO, egg production was similarly reduced and ceased on the 6.9th day and 7.0th day of molting, respectively, none of them differed significantly from the control. Layers fed molt-inducing diet or wheat bran-based diet did not reach the cessation of laying even on the 28th d of molting period. Relative weights of the ovary and growing oocytes of layers subjected to fasting or fed diets with ZnO were significantly lower than those of other groups. During the first two weeks of post molting, layers fed molt-inducing diet with ZnO showed higher egg production than the other two groups (p < 0.01). The eggshell strength in the group fed the commercial diet with ZnO was significantly higher than those fed the molt-inducing diet or wheat bran-based diets at 6 weeks of post molting (p < 0.05). These results suggest that the non-feed withdrawal molting using ZnO is more effective in inducing molting and increasing post-molt egg production and egg quality than other methods using a molt-inducing diet alone or wheat bran-based diet without ZnO.