• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.91-96
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• 2000

This study was carried out to determine the effect of sound stimulation on growth performance, feeding behaviour and egg production of laying hens. A total of 180 laying hens(4 weeks old) were alloted to 18 cages with 10hens per cage and 6 cages per treatment. Laying hens were exposed to three sounds: control, Leq 50dB and Leq 75dB. The growth performance was measured fro m4 weeks to 17 weeks of age, feeding behaviour was observed at 5weeks, 7weeks, 10weeks and 50 weeks of age using data from real-time videotapes, while eg production was recorded from 20 weeks to 50 weeks of age. Growth performance was improved in the sound stimulated laying hens from 12 weeks to 17 weeks of age. In the 50dB simulated laying hens spent more longer time for feeding than others during the experimental period. Egg production of 50dB stimulated laying hens from 20 weeks to 50 weeks was higher than others, however 75dB stimulated laying hens were significantly lower than 50dB stimulated hens(P<0.05). The results indicated that the growth and egg production of egg type chicken can be influenced by sound stimulation through physiological rhythm.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.1320-1325
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• 2003

The purpose of present study was to assess the effect of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on the immune responses of laying hens. Three hundred and sixty hens at the age of 60 weeks were randomly assigned to ten diets, which contained no oil (CK), 1%, 3%, 5% fish oil (FO); 2%, 4%, 6% linseed oil (LO) and 2%, 4%, 6% corn oil (CO). After 5 weeks of feeding experimental diets, humoral and cellular immune responses were assayed. Laying hens were injected with Sheep Red Blood Cell (SRBC) and Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) and antibody titers, which were measured on d6, d10, d14 after primary challenge and on d5, d9, d13 after secondary challenge. Concanavalin (ConA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) -stimulated proliferation of peripheral blood and spleen lymphocytes were assessed by [$^3$H] thymidine incorporation at the week age of 5 and 10, respectively. The results showed that antibody titers in FO-fed and LO-fed laying hens were higher than that in laying hens fed CO. The proliferation response to ConA was lower in laying hens that fed oils rich in n-3 fatty acids than that in laying hens fed CO. Higher level n-3 fatty acids can improve immune functions of laying hens. In conclusion, dietary fat source and level had a significant impact on immune responses of laying hens.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.171-181
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• 2004

A study was conducted to investigate the effect of supplementing earthworm meal (EWM) on the performance of spent laying hens after induced molting, and fatty acid composition in egg yolks. A total of 90 laying hens at 73 weeks of age were fed the experimental diets containing 0.0% (Control) and 0.2% of EWM for 4 weeks. Eggs were collected and weighted every day and Egg production and feed conversion were recorded every week during the experimental period. However fatty acid composition of egg yolk were measured at last week of experimental period. An amount of feed intake increased by supplemental with EMW except for Erst week experimental period (P<0.05). When 76 and 77 week of age, egg production and daily egg mass were improved by the supplemented with EWM (P<0.01), but average egg weight was not different when fed a EWM, therefore feed/egg mass was significantly decreased when fed a EWM. The ratio of egg yolk n-6/n-3 fatty acids contents was significantly improved fed a EMW (P<0.05). It is concluded that supplementing 0.2% of earthworm meal in the spent laying hens after induced molting was fast in recover of physical strength, therefore improves laying performance.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.63-71
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• 2018

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of age of laying hens on egg internal and external qualities. A total of 8,300 eggs were randomly collected from 15 grading & packaging (GP) centers, and 50 eggs per farm during April to May in 2015. Age of laying hens ranged from 18 to 65 weeks of age and they were classified into 5 age groups (18~25, 26~35, 36~45, 46~55, and 56~65 weeks). Egg weight increased, but the Haugh unit decreased as the age of laying hens increased. Yolk color was higher in eggs laid from 25~35 weeks of laying hens compared with that of 18~25-weeks-old chickens. The incidence of dirty eggs was highest (P<0.05) in 18~25 week group and remained constant after 26 weeks. Among eggshell defects, speckled and pimpled eggs increased as the age of laying hens increased. The incidence of calcium deposits and misshapen eggs was highest during 18~25 weeks of age and remained constant after 26 weeks. The percentage of total eggshell cracks increased as the age of laying hens increased. Among eggshell cracks, star- and hair-like cracks were frequently noted. The percentage of meat spot was higher than that of blood spot and their incidence was highest among the 56~65 week group. Age of laying hens significantly increased egg weight, incidence of pimpled or speckled eggs, star- or hair-like cracks, and meat spot. On the other hand, a significant negative interaction between age of laying hens and the Haugh unit was noted. In conclusion, our study revealed that the age of laying hens affected internal and external egg qualities.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.99-105
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• 1996

Effects of conjugated linoleic acid(CLA), known as an effective anticarcinogen in several aminal models, on the egg production and egg weight of laying hens, and the weight gains of broilers were investigated. CLA was synthesized from corn oil by the alkaline isomerization method and purified by the low-temperature precipitation method. Diets for laying hens and for broilers were synthesized to meet the specification of their NRC standard rationals. Two separated experiments(Experiment I and II) were conducted for laying hens. in experiment I, 45 hens(300 days of age) were divided into 15 hens per treatment group; each hen was housed in wired cage located in a temperature and humidity-controlled house and adopted to the control diet. One week later, each group was subjected to one the four treatment groups for 5 weeks : control, 1.0% CLA, 2.5% CLA and 5.0% CLA diets. Diet and water were ad libitum. The condition of experiment II was the same as that of experiment I except for the addition of 5% corn oil diet and the extension of feeding period to 7 weeks. Egg production, egg weight and feed intake were recorded every week. Forty-five broilers(10day of age) were adopted to the control diet for a week and then switched to the treatment diets for 5 weeks : control, 1.0% CLA, 2.5% CLA, 5% CLA and 5% corn oil, Body weight and feed intake of broilers were measured every week. Diets supplemented with various amounts of CLA enhanced the egg production and increased the egg weight regardless laying hen's age(150 days or 300 days) as compared to control diet. The most effective diet for the egg production and egg weight of young hens(150 days of age) was found to be 1.0% CLA diet, but relatively higher CLA diet(2.5% CLA) was required for old hens (300 day of age) to obtain similar results as seen in younger hens. All hens treated with CLA ate greater amount of feed than control hens. Broilers treated with various amount of CLA ate less feed as compared to control ones, but the body weight gain was greater than the control broilers. These results indicate that CLA enhanced the egg production and agg weight of laying hens, and increased the body weight gain of broilers with less diet consumption.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.299-307
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• 2022

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the effects of different social ranking order (SRO) and the enrichments (perch and dust-bath) allocation (EA) on behavior of laying hens in furnished cages. Methods: Total experimental period was 4 weeks. There were 216 Hy-line brown layers beak-trimmed at 1 d of age and selected randomly at 14 weeks of age from a commercial farm, and randomly divided into 36 cages with 6 hens in each cage. High enrichments (perch and dust-bath) allocation (HEA) and low enrichments (perch and dust-bath) allocation (LEA) were provided. Video observations of behavior were obtained from the focal hens between 14 and 18 weeks of age and perching, dust-bathing and other general behaviors of the hens with different social orders were measured. Results: Perching behavior of high SRO hens (HSR) were significantly higher than that of medium SRO hens (MSR), and that of the MSR were significantly higher than that of low SRO hens (LSR) (p<0.01), except for lying on perch (p>0.05). The hens in the high EA cage (HEAC) showed more lying behavior on perch than those in the low EA cage (LEAC) (p<0.01). The different SRO and EA did not affect dust-bathing behavior except vertical wing-shaking behavior (p<0.05). The LEA did not affect general behaviors (p>0.05), except standing and preening behaviors (p<0.01 and p<0.05), of which the hens in the HEAC showed less standing (p<0.01) and more preening behavior than the hens in the LEAC. Conclusion: The SRO of laying hens has a significant effect on the perching behaviors, but SRO and EA have little effect on dust-bathing and general behaviors.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.887-894
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• 2016

This study was conducted to compare the effects of layout of furniture (a perch, nest, and sandbox) in cages on behavior and welfare of hens. Two hundred and sixteen Hyline Brown laying hens were divided into five groups (treatments) with four replicates per group: small furnished cages (SFC), medium furnished cages type I (MFC-I), medium furnished cages type II (MFC-II), and medium furnished cages type III (MFC-III) and conventional cages (CC). The experiment started at 18 week of age and finished at 52 week of age. Hens' behaviors were filmed during the following periods: 8:00 to 10:00; 13:00 to 14:00; 16:00 to 17:00 on three separate days and two hens from each cage were measured for welfare parameters at 50 wk of age. The results showed that feeding and laying of all hens showed no effect by cage type (p>0.05), and the hens in the furnished cages had significantly lower standing and higher walking than CC hens (p<0.05). The birds in MFC-III had significant higher preening, scratching and feather-pecking behavior than in the other cages (p<0.05). No difference in nesting behavior was found in the hens between the furnished cages (p>0.05). The hens in MFC-I, -II, and -III showed a significant higher socializing behavior than SFC and CC (p<0.05). The lowest perching was for the hens in SFC and the highest perching found for the hens in MFC-III. Overall, the hens in CC showed poorer welfare conditions than the furnished cages, in which the feather condition score, gait score and tonic immobility duration of the hens in CC was significantly higher than SFC, MFC-I, MFC-II, and MFC-III (p<0.05). In conclusion, the furnished cage design affected both behavior and welfare states of hens. Overall, MFC-III cage design was better than SFC, MFC-I, and MFC-II cage designs.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.109-113
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• 2016

This study aimed to examine the nutrient utilization of rump round meat and lotus root using young (32 wk) and aged hens (108 wk) as an animal model. Rump round meat and lotus root were prepared with or without enzymatic treatment. For each age group of laying hens, a total of 24 Hy-Line Brown laying hens were randomly allotted to one of two dietary treatments with six replicates. For rump round meat, the true total tract retention rate (TTTR) of dry matter (DM) and nitrogen (N) were unaffected by either enzymatic treatment or hen age. However, aged hens had greater (p<0.01) TTTR of energy and crude fat than young hens. Enzymatic treatment did not influence the TTTR of energy or crude fat. In addition, we did not observe any significant interaction between the TTTR of DM, energy, N, or crude fat in rump round meat and hen age or enzymatic treatment. The TTTR of DM remained unchanged between controls and enzyme-treated lotus root for young hens. However, enzyme-treated lotus root exhibited greater (p<0.05) TTTR of DM than control lotus root for aged hens, resulting in a significant interaction (p<0.05). The TTTR of energy and N in lotus roots were greater (p<0.01) for aged hens than for young hens. In conclusion, enzymatic treatment exerted beneficial effects on energy and nutrient utilization in aged hens, suggesting the aged hen model is practical for simulation of metabolism of elderly individuals.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.29 no.10
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• pp.1011-1014
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to investigate the egg freshness and eggshell characteristics of old laying hens by adding sea urchin shell powder to the feed of such hens to achieve the objectives continuously pursued by environmental management, such as business profitability and waste resource utilization. A total of 90 Hy-Line Brown layers (66 weeks of age) were randomly divided into 2 treatments with 3 replicates, each of which consisted of 15 older layers, for 4 weeks. These treatments included a control (i.e., 0%) and 2% sea urchin shell powder. The 2% supplementation of sea urchin shell powder increased the Haugh unit (HU) at 2 and 4 weeks and eggshell strength at 4 wks compared to the controls (p<0.05). The HU at 0 weeks, eggshell thickness from 0 through 3 weeks, and eggshell strength at 0 and 2 weeks were not different between treatments (p>0.05). These results suggest that the addition of 2% sea urchin powder to the feed of laying hens improves egg freshness and eggshell strength in old laying hens.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.9
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• pp.1426-1433
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• 2022

Objective: The present research was conducted to evaluate the interactive effect of dietary concentration of calcium (Ca) and 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 (25OHD3) on the performance, blood composition and digestibility of laying hens. Methods: A total of 540 Hy-line brown laying hens aged 61 to 70 weeks were randomly allotted in a 3×3 factorial arrangement, consisting of three levels of 25OHD3 (0, 25, and 50 ㎍/kg) and three levels of Ca (3.5%, 4.0%, and 4.5%). All diets had basal concentration of 3,000 IU/kg of vitamin D3 including the 2,800 kcal/kg of metabolic energy and 16% of crude protein. Results: The results showed that interactive effect (p<0.05) between Ca and 25OHD3 was such that dietary 25OHD3 linearly increased interleukin-6 at all levels of Ca inclusion. Interaction (p<0.05) occurred with the highest parathyroid hormone in laying hens that received dietary concentration of Ca (3.5%) with 25OHD3 (50 ㎍/kg), and Ca (4.0%) with 25OHD3 (50 ㎍/kg). Egg production and egg weight significantly (p<0.05) increased in the 4.5% Ca group compared to the 3.5% to 4.0% Ca groups. Egg shell thickness and tibia bone length also increased (p<0.05) in groups fed a high-Ca diet (4.0% to 4.5%). Phosphorus digestibility significantly (p<0.05) increased along with dietary Ca level. Among the tested 25OHD3 groups, higher (p<0.05) egg production and tibia thickness were present in hens fed 50 ㎍/kg of 25OHD3. Furthermore, Ca digestibility serum Ca and 25OHD3 were significantly increased in group offered 50 ㎍/kg of 25OHD3. Conclusion: The results gathered in this study indicate that dietary concentrations of 4.0% to 4.5% Ca and 50 ㎍/kg 25OHD3 improve the performance of hens from 61 to 70 weeks of age.