• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.7
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• pp.1080-1084
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• 1999

Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) balance technique was used to determine energy balance in Rhode Island Red (RIR) and White Leghorn (WL) laying hens fed maize-and broken rice (BR)- based diets. Carbon and nitrogen intake and outgo were determined for three days on ad libitum fed diets followed by 2/3 of ad libitum intake for next three days. Carbon analysis was done by using four 'U' tubes in which carbon dioxide released during bomb calorimetry was absorbed on drierite in tube 1 and 2 whereas tube 3 and 4 contained sodalime self indicating granule. Carbon in $CO_2$ was determined by an open circuit respiration system. Energy retention (E, kcal) was calculated as E = 12.386 C (g) - 4.631 N (g). By regressing metabolisable energy (ME) intake on energy balance, maintenance ME requirement of RIR was 128 whereas, that of WL hens was $144kcal/kg\;W^{0.75}/d$. Effciency of utilization of ME for maintenance from BR-based diet in RIR hens was equal but in WL hens it was 11% less than maize-based diet.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.1307-1316
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• 2016

This study was to execute the random arrangement of total 120 heads (10 heads per treatment plot ${\times}$ 3 repeats ${\times}$ 4 treatment plots) for four breeds [Blue arakana commercial Fowl (BC), Yeonsan silky fowl (YS), Korean native fowl (KN), White leghorn fowl (WL)] with the initiation of laying hens at 32 weeks old in order to comparatively analyze egg quality and composition by sorts of laying hens. In case of evaluation of the quality of eggs, this study has shown that BC had higher degree of Haugh unit coefficient (82.82) and in case cholesterol content of eggs, BC had significantly low content as 317.55mg/100g, but YS had rather higher content as 381.30mg/100g. Furthermore, this study has found out that BC had significantly low Oleic acid (C18:1n9) and WL had higher Amino acid content by breeds than those of other breeds (p<0.05).

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.1015-1019
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• 2003

A 50 day feeding trial was conducted with White Leghorn (WL) laying hens, 42 weeks old, to determine if feeding of varying levels of aflatoxin (AF), ochratoxin A (OA) or their combinations has any effect on their performance and egg quality parameters. Feeding of $T_4$, $T_7$, $T_8$, $T_9$ and $T_10$ caused significant reduction in feed intake of hens. Hen day egg productions were significantly reduced at all the levels of toxins except 0.5 ppm of AF. Maximum reduction in egg production was noticed at 2 and 4 ppm of AF and OA, respectively. Average body weight and egg weight were not affected by toxin feeding. The feed efficiency in terms of net feed efficiency and feed consumed per dozen egg produced was significantly reduced at higher levels of both the toxins and their combinations. Feed consumption for production of 1 kg egg mass remained uninfluenced due to aflatoxin feeding whereas significant increase in the value of the same was noticed at 4 ppm level of OA and combination of 1 and 2 ppm of AF and 2 and 4 ppm of OA ($T_9$ and $T_10$), respectively. Various levels of OA (1-4 ppm) and all the combination of two toxins ($T_8$, $T_9$ and $T_10$) significantly altered the shape index of eggs in laying hens. The shell thickness was significantly reduced by higher level of AF (2 ppm), OA (2 and 4 ppm) and their combination. Albumen index, Haugh Unit and yolk index remained unchanged due to incorporation of toxins in the diet. It is concluded that AF, OA either singly or in combination at higher levels could depress the performance in terms of egg production and feed efficiency significantly. The egg quality parameters i.e. shape index and shell thickness were also significantly affected.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.1638-1642
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• 2006

An experiment was conducted to elucidate the effect of graded levels of vitamin $D_3$ in White Leghorn (WL) layer breeders on egg production, shell quality, hatchability of eggs and juvenile performance of offspring during their late laying period (72-88 wk). White Leghorn breeder females were randomly divided into 5 groups of 50 each and were housed in individual California cages in an open-side housing system. Considering birds in five cages as a replicate, 10 such replicates were randomly allotted to each treatment. A basal diet was formulated containing all the nutrients as recommended for WL layers except vitamin $D_3$, which served as control. Another, four diets were formulated by supplementing graded levels of feed grade crystalline cholecalciferol to the basal diet that contained 300, 600, 1,200 and 2,400 ICU of vitamin $D_3$ per kg. Each diet was offered ad libitum to one of the above five treatment groups. The egg production, egg weight, daily feed consumption and the feed intake per dozen eggs or kg egg mass of the birds fed diet without any supplemental vitamin $D_3$ was comparable with those of supplemental groups. Similarly, the level of vitamin in the diet did not have any effect on any of the above parameters. However, the specific gravity of eggs laid by the birds fed the diet without supplemental vitamin $D_3$ was comparable with either 600 or 2,400 ICU supplemental groups but significantly higher when compared to the 300 and 1,200 ICU groups. The egg -shell breaking strength was significantly lowered in the 600 ICU supplemental groups as compared to the strength of other dietary groups. The Haugh unit, egg shell weight, shell thickness, tibia breaking strength, bone ash and calcium content were not influenced by vitamin $D_3$ concentration in the diet. Serum Ca concentration was influenced by vitamin $D_3$ level in the diet. The serum Ca concentration of birds fed either control or the vitamin supplemented diet up to 1200 ICU/kg diet was comparable. However, increasing the concentration of vitamin $D_3$ to 2,400 ICU/kg diet significantly enhanced the concentration of Ca in the serum, which was significantly higher compared to other dietary groups. The serum concentration of P and protein, however, was not influenced by level of vitamin $D_3$ in the diet. Neither fertility nor hatchability was influenced by vitamin $D_3$ concentration in the diet. Feeding a vitamin $D_3$ deficient diet or supplementation of vitamin to hens did not have any influence on their progeny chicks. It can be concluded that dietary supplementation of vitamin $D_3$ may not be essential for optimum production, shell quality, hatchability, and juvenile performance of WL breeders during 72 to 88 weeks of age.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.383-388
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• 2010

The chicken eye can discriminate light color, and different light wavelengths may affect reproduction ability. This study was carried out to identify effect of monochromatic light using light emitting diode (LED) in laying hens. Chickens were exposed to white light (WL), blue light (BL), yellow light (YL), green light (GL) and red light (RL) made by using LED as well as incandescent light (IL) (control). All light sources were equalized to a light intensity of 20 lux. The results indicated that the age of first egg laying and 50 % egg laying in laying hens treated under RL is significantly younger than under other lights (P<0.05). And the ovary weight of laying hens reared under RL is significantly heavier than under other at from 16 to 20 wks (P<0.05). The largest number of eggs production was produced in a group with treated with RL by 59 wks of age compared with any other group. The egg weight of YL was greater than other treatment groups from 26 to 45 wks (P<0.05). The egg shell from hens treated with RL was the strongest and thickest at 20 wk (P<0.05). These results suggest that the egg quality of laying hens reared in different spectrum of LED can be different and RL may enhance the laying performance.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.18.1-18.5
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• 2014

Background: A six-week study involving two hundred and fifty (250) Harco Black layer birds at point of lay was conducted to investigate the effects of potential natural colorant on performance and Egg quality traits. The birds were assigned to five (5) dietary treatments, each containing supplements either of control, Baobab Leaf (BL), Waterleaf (WL), Red Pepper (RP), Canthaxanthin (CTX) at 40 g/kg feed and 50 mg/kg feed of natural and commercial colorants, respectively. Results: Performance records shows that there was no significant (p > 0.05) difference in feed intake across the supplements of Red pepper, Water leaf, Canthaxanthin and control diet, however, birds fed Baobab leaf treatment had a significantly lower (p < 0.05) feed intake value (94.07 g) when compared with other treatments. Body weight gain and Hen Day Production were not significant influenced (p > 0.05) by the dietary treatments, although laying hens fed Baobab leaf supplement had lowest mean HDP of 48.80%, while birds fed Red pepper and Water leaf supplement had an average value of 52.79%. There was no significant effect (p > 0.05) of colorants on egg external traits, compared with the control; birds fed Canthaxanthin treatment had higher mean egg weight (51.79 g), egg length (4.55 g), egg breadth (3.29 g); Red pepper treatment had highest mean shell thickness (0.29 g), however these differences were not significant (p > 0.05). Yolk height, Albumen height, Yolk index, and Haugh unit were not significantly affected (p > 0.05) across treatments. Yolk width was lowest (p < 0.05) in Baobab leaf treatment (2.54 cm); Red pepper, Water leaf and Canthaxanthin (2.89 cm, 2.62 cm and 2.89 cm respectively) were not significantly (p > 0.05) different from the control (2.73 cm). Yolk colour score was significantly highest (p < 0.05) in Red pepper treatment (7.50); Water leaf, Baobab leaf and Canthaxanthin ranged between 2.25-3.31 on the DSM yolk colour fan, Control treatment had the lowest yolk colour score (p < 0.05) of 1.31. Conclusion: The study showed Red pepper as a worthy alternative to commercial yolk colorant. Water leaf and baobab are not good substitutes for canthaxanthin as a yolk colourant.