• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.171-176
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• 2008

Animal welfare advocates, claim that the induced molting by fasting be avoided. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of molting induced by various feeding methods on productivity and egg quality in laying hens. We used 400 flocks of 60-week-old leghorn laying hens in four treatments(five replicates of 20 hens each): fasting method (C), feeding single corn grain diet (T1), feeding single wheat bran diet (T2) and feeding single alfalfa meal diet (T3). As the result of the experiment, egg production and daily egg mass significantly decreased only in T1 compared with the control during the $1{\sim}4th$ week after the secondary egg laying (P<0.05). Although the amount of feed intake was significantly less in T1 group during the $1{\sim}4th$ week compared to the control, no significant difference was detected during the total period (P>0.05). In addition, no significant difference of feed conversion was observed between treatment groups. In terms of egg quality, the egg shell thickness was significantly improved in T1 group than the control group by feeding only corn at the 10th and 14th week after the secondary egg laying (P<0.05), but the significant decrease was observed at the corn (T1) and wheat bran (T2) fed treatment groups than the control group at the 26th week of the experiment (P<0.05). The eggshell strength and haugh unit did not show any difference by the molting methods. Egg yolk color was significantly decreased in T1 and T2 group than the control group at the 6th week (P<0.05). However, T1 and T2 group resulted to show significantly high egg yolk color at the 18th week of the experiment (P<0.05). As the result of the experiment, no large difference was observed in the productivity by the feeding molting method and by the fasting induced molting method. In addition, the single diet fed feeding induced molting method by using alfalfa revealed to show more satisfactory trend than the corn or wheat bran single diet fed feeding induced molting methods even if no statistically significant difference was found in terms of egg productivity.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.197-205
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• 2007

This study was conducted to compare the effect of feeding molting and fasting molting on the performance, egg quality, and visceral organs in laying hens for animal welfare. Eighty one 62-wk-old White Leghorn hens that egg production was over 80% and average weight was $1.6{\pm}0.3\;kg$ were used in this study. Treatments were control (non-molt treatment), feeding molt treatment, and fasting molt treatment. The three treatments were administered to three replicate group of nine hens wherein each group. All treatment groups were fed the basal diet (CP 15%, ME 2,700 kal/kg) for two weeks as the adaptation period. Induced molt diets contains low CP (6.7%) and low energy (2,200 kal/kg). Test periods were 14 days for feeding molting and 10 days for fasting molting. Egg production decreased to be 0% at 10 days of feeding molting treatment, but at 2 or 3 days of fasting molting treatment. Egg production restarted after 19 days ending molt at feeding molting treatment, while after 24 days at fasting molting treatment. On the egg quality was improved at molting treatments (p<0.05) except egg yolk. Egg shell tissue was crowded at molting treatment to compare to control. Liver weights, heart weight, and oviduct weight of laying hens decreased at molting treatments (p<0.05). Finally, feeding molting might could be replaced fasting molting on the welfare and further studies were needed about molting program.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.279-286
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• 2007

This study was conducted to induce molting with DDGS and non-salt diet and compare the effect of feeding molting and fasting molting on the performance, egg quality, and visceral organs in laying hens for animal welfare. One-hundredeight 62-wk-old White Leghorn hens that egg production was over 80% and average weight was $1.8{\pm}0.1kg$ were used in this study. Treatments were control(non-molt treatment), feeding molt treatment(DDGS, non-salt diet), and fasting molt treatment. The four treatments were administered to three replicate group of nine hens wherein each group. All treatment groups were fed the basal diet(CP 15%, ME 2,700 kal/kg) for two weeks as the adaptation period. Test Periods were 28 days at all treatments. Egg production decreased for 18 days to be 0% at feeding molting treatment, and for 17 days to be 0% at non-salt feeding molting treatment. Egg production stopped for 6 days at fasting molting treatment. Egg production restarted after 12 days molt at feeding molting treatment, while after 16 days at fasting molting treatment. On the egg quality was improved at molting treatments (p<0.05) except egg yolk. Egg shell tissue was crowded at molting treatment to compare to control. Liver weights, heart weight, and oviduct weight of laying hens decreased at molting treatments(p<0.05). Finally, feeding molting might could be replaced fasting molting on the welfare and further studies were needed about molting program.

• 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.35 no.4
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• pp.375-380
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• 2009

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of feeding induced molting on the visceral organs and blood component profile in laying hens and designed to test 400 flocks of 60 week old Leghorn laying hens for 34 weeks. A total of four molting treatment methods by including the molted with customary molting by fasting method (c), feeding single diet of corn (T1), feeding single diet of wheat bran (T2) and feeding single diet of alfalfa meal (T3) were tested, and each treatment was repeated for 5 times, and 20 laying hens were randomly assigned in an cage for each repeat. As the result of the experiment, ovary was $2.03{\sim}6%$ and oviduct was $2.51{\sim}3.47%$ in visceral organs for body weight at pre-molting term, but there was no significant difference. At post-molting, no significant difference was found, ovary was $0.25{\sim}0.41%$, uterus of control, T1, T2 and T3 was 1.12%, 0.82%, 0.48% and 0.90%, respectively. T2 was significantly lower than control, T3 (p<0.05) at the 50% of egg production. Ovary was $2.20{\sim}2.60%$ and oviduct was $2.98{\sim}3.45%$. In addition, ovary was $2.65{\sim}3.01%$, oviduct was $3.23{\sim}3.64%$ at the peak egg production, but there was no significant difference by non-feeding and feeding molting treatments. In blood component profile, cholesterol was $179.8{\sim}245.7\;mg/dL$ at pre-molting, but there was no significant difference and at post-molting, concentration of cholestrol in control, T1, T2 and T3 was 353.6, 229.1, 261.8 and 300.6 mg/dL, respectively. T1 was significantly lower than control and T3 (p<0.05). In addition, first laying day was $228.1{\sim}271.8\;mg/dL$, 50% of egg production was $236.5{\sim}284.8\;mg/dL$, there was no significant difference. Concentration of cholestrol in control, T1, T2 and T3 was 324.1, 591.6, 363.0 and 315.6 mg/dL, respectively, at the peak egg production period. T1 was significantly higher than other treatment (p<0.05).

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2008

This study aimed at evaluating the effects of a molting diet method in molt induction and post-molt performance of laying hens. Eighty-one ISA Brown hens at 62 wk of age were randomly divided into three groups. After a 4-wk preliminary period, a control group was fed a corn-soybean-based layer diet, and for the other groups, molting was induced by starvation (MS) or feeding a molting diet (MD). For the MS group, feed was withdrawn for 2 wk; this was followed by feeding a layer diet every other day for 1 wk and then the control diet. The MD group was fed a molting diet containing low-protein and low-energy diet based for 4 wk; this was followed by feeding a layer diet. They had a free access to their diet and water. Egg production, egg quality, feed intake, and ovary and oviduct weights were measured throughout the experimental period. During molting, the feed intake in the MD group was lower than that of the control. Body weight of the molted groups was significantly reduced. The MS group feeding totally ceased egg production within 4d; after the initiation of feeding and decreased; in the MD group, egg production to 9.3% by d 10. On d 14, the ovaries and oviducts of the molted groups were distinctly lighter than those of the control. Throughout the post-molt period, egg production and egg shell thickness of the molted group improved; but there were no significant differences. Eggs from the MD-fed or control group were heavier than those of the MS-fed or control group. Finally, feeding of a low-protein and low-energy diet effectively induces molting and increase post-molt production, but further research will be conducted to determine the effects of the molt diet with other ingredients and to reduce the energy level of the molt diet for maximizing molt induction and post-molt egg quality.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.117-123
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• 2009

This work was conducted to evaluate the effects of induced-molting methods on visceral organs and blood stress indicators in laying hens. One hundred fifty of 63-wk-old White Leghorn hens, with over 85% of egg production and $1.7\;{\pm}0.4\;kg$ of average weight, were used in this study. Treatments were control (non-molt treatment), feeding molt treatment (FM), and starving molt treatment (SM). There were 5 replicates of 10 hens for each treatment. All treatment groups were fed basal diet (15% CP and 2,700 kal/kg of ME) for two weeks as adaptation period. Heart weights were 8.2, 7.9 and 7.5 g in control, FM and SM, respectively. Liver and oviduct weights were decreased in both molting treatments compared with control (P<0.05). Corticosterone (CS) concentrations were 4.48, 4.47 and $4.66\;{\mu}g/mL$ in control, FM and SM at 61 weeks, respectively, but increased to 7.32, 7.11 and $7.71\;{\mu}g/mL$ at 62 weeks, respectively (P<0.05). Heterophil to lymphocyte ratios were 0.27~0.29 in all groups at 61 weeks, but increased to 0.97~1.03 in SM at 62 weeks. Both CS concentrations and H:L ratios in SM were greater compared with those for the other groups. These results suggest that hens in feeding molting program in hens are less stressed than those in starving molting one.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.219-228
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• 2003

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the feeding value of stevia by-product (SB) on performance in broiler chicks and laying hens. In experiment 1, a total 256 one day old male broiler chicks were replaced in 0, 2, 4, 7% of SB with four replicates for 5 weeks. All diets were consisted of isocaloric and isonitrogen containing CP 21.5, 19% and ME 3,100 kcal/kg for starting and finishing period, respectively. Weight gain of SB treatments decreased compared with control for the first three weeks, but no difference for the finishing period. Feed intake and feed conversion were no statistical difference between control and feeding stevia groups for overall period. There were no different total number of intestinal microflora. However, the number of Salmonella and E. coli of cecum seemed to decrease in SB feeding groups. Total Lactobacillus and yeast tended to be higher in those groups than control. The PUFa increased in SB treatments, but was no significance. In experiment 2. stevia by-product(SB) were mixed with iso-caloric and isonitrogeneous method to investigate the feeding value in induced molting hens of 78 weeks old. A total 360 birds were replaced in the four treatments(0, 2, 4, 8% SB) with five replicates. Egg production, quality and fatty acid composition in egg were periodically measured for 20 weeks. No difference were found in egg production, feed intake, feed conversion between control and SB treatments for overall period. Egg shell breaking strength, thickness, albumen height and Haugh unit were not statistically different. However, yolk color was significantly high in SB treatments compared to control(P<0.05). Yolk MUFA increased significantly in SB treatments compared to that of control(p<0.05), but PUFA tended to decrease in SB treatments. No significant difference was detected in total sugar in egg yolk between SB treatments and control. Tocopherol of egg yolk 2 and 4% SB were significantly higher than those feed the control (p<0.05).