• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.127-137
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• 1997

This study was conducted to estimate the laying performance and heterosis of Korean Native Chicken(KNC), Rhode Island Red(RIR), and KNC x RIR crossbreds A total of 1,274 female pullets were produced from KNC, RIR and RIR crossbreds in National Livestock Research Institute, Korea. The experiment was conducted for 2O~64 weeks from Jan 20. to Nov.25, 1996. The age at first egg of crossbreds were 144.1~148.7 days. The first egg weight of crossbreds was 39. 4~40.3 g, and body weights at first egg of KNC dark brown strain x RlR(DR), KNC light brown strain x RlR(LR) and KNC dark black strain x RlR(BR) were 1,943 g, 1,925 g and 2,044 g, respectively. During the laying period the average viability of crossbreds was 96.6~98.3%. The hen-day egg production of crossbreds were 111.1~113.O eggs at 40 weeks of age, and 223.5~227.5 eggs at 64 weeks of age, respectively. The hen-day egg production peaks were 78.2~80.1% in KNC, and 85.8~87.5% in crossbreds. The heterosis were estimated to be 3.61%, 9.21%, 4.78%, 2.97% and -1.63% for the first egg days, body weights at first egg, layer viability, hen-day egg production, and feed conversion ratio, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.67-73
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• 2013

With an increasing concern on laying hen welfare, barn system has appeared as one of the alternatives to replace the conventional cage. This study was conducted to compare the early laying performance and egg quality at the barn system with those at the conventional cage. A total of 288 shaver-579 brown layers were used for 9 weeks ($21^{st}$ to $30^{th}$ weeks of age) feeding study. Feed consumption and egg weight were significantly (P<0.01) higher at barn than at cage. However, there were no significant differences between two housing systems on hen day egg production (HDEP), egg mass, body weight, feed efficiency and livability. In case of egg quality parameters, shell thickness, albumen height and Haugh unit were significantly (P<0.05) different between two systems. Haugh unit and albumen height were significantly higher in eggs produced at cage (88.97 and 8.16 mm) compared than those produced at barn (83.11 and 6.87 mm), whereas shell thickness was thicker in eggs produced at barn than those produced at cage. Shape index, breaking strength, blood spots and yolk index data were not influenced significantly by the types of housing system. To implement welfare bestowing production, this study showed that the barn system can replace the conventional cage without serious sacrifices on starting phase egg production. In addition, this study suggested that the barn system need to be optimized in view of daily feed consumption.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.1196-1203
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• 2014

This study intended to compare the productive performance of three different layer raising systems; conventional cage (CC), barn (BR) and aviary (AV). The AV is welfare bestowed housing that allows free locomotion for birds within the BR. The BR allows bird's free locomotion inside BR but without multilevel structures. Both pullets and cockerels were housed together in both AV and BR, but only pullets in CC. Seventeen weeks old Lohmann Brown Lite (n = 800) pullets were housed in AV during this study. The same age layer pullets were simultaneously assigned to either at CC or BR to compare egg production performance with AV. The duration of experiment was 40 weeks (from 21st to 60th week). There were no remarkable differences in egg production, hen day egg production (HDEP) and average egg weight among three rearing systems. First 20 weeks (phase-1) average HDEP (%) of AV, CC, and BR were 85.9, 88.8, 87.1 and average egg weights (g) were 57.5, 59.9, and 56.9 respectively. Those of the remaining 20 weeks (phase-2) were 87.1, 87.9, 85.5 and 64.2, 63.0 62.1, respectively. Daily feed intakes (122 g, 110 g, 125 g); feed conversion ratio (2.4, 2.1, 2.5) and daily egg mass (53.9 g, 54.4 g, 52.8 g) data from AV, CC, and BR were not influenced significantly by the respective raising systems. Daily feed intake of layers in both AV (124 g) and BR (127 g) tended to be higher than that in CC (113 g) during phase-2. Overall, exterior egg quality (dirty and cracked eggs) in both phases was superior in BR compared with AV and CC, whereas CC generated intermediate results. This study indicated that the HDEP per se in AV and BR were not significantly different from that in CC. The study implied that the facility depreciation cost for AV and cost for increased feed intake in AV compared to CC are believed to be critical to evaluate the cost effectiveness of egg production in AV.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.281-283
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• 1990

Ten-week-old layer type pullets were used in this study, housed 10 birds per cage(61$\times$41cm) and were replicated 15 times After raising them on a 19% protein diet up to ten weeks of age they were fed a 12% protein corn-soy control diet or one with half or all of the soybean mea replaced with ground full-fat sunflower seeds. At 19 weeks of age, pulltes were transferred to a layer house and their respective diet was gradually changed to a 13.5% layer diet containing 635% oats. The 19% protein SFS diet in treatment 2 did not show my, adverse effect on body weight or subsequent egg productio. The higher level of SES(38%) appeared to delay sexual maturity somewhat as was indicated by body weight and egg production data. However, the higher replacement of soybean with SFS(38%) in the pullet ration may not be critical for sexual maturity, but beneficial in a full laying cycle. There were no adverse effects on later stages of production.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.229-233
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• 2003

A study was conducted to investigate the effects of different BW control methods during rearing on laying performance of broiler breeder pullets. D-old 540 female breeder chicks (Arbor Acres) were assigned to three treatments consisted of standard BW (Control), 110% of standard BW at 12 wk of age (T1), and 90% of standard BW at 12 wk of age (T2), with three replicates of 60 birds per replicate (pen) for each treatment. At 20 wk of age, all birds from three treatments reached the BW reqired in the Arbor Acres Manual. There were no significant differences in egg production, egg weight and viability during laying period(p>0.05). However, total egg production rates were improved in T2 and T3. Average egg weight was the highest in T1 among all treatments. Fertility and hatchability were similar among treatments, but T2 tended to be higher than other treatments at 37 and 53 wk of age. No significant difference was found in hatchability among three treatments. The number of hatching egg of T2 reached 168 per year, showing higher number of eggs than did the other treatments. The number of hatched chicks in T2 was 131, which was also higher than the other treatments, but the difference was not significant. It appears that the laying performance of broiler breeder hens could be improved when their BW at 12 wk of age are kept at 90% of standard BW, and reach the standard BW at 20 week of age.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.976-982
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• 2007

This study investigated whether supplemental Cu, Fe, Zn, and Mn are needed in a practical diet for pullets. Four hundred and twenty females of an egg-laying strain (1-d-old, Lohmann Brown Layer) were randomly distributed into 4 groups, consisting of 7 replicates of 15 birds each. During the 18-week experimental period, chicks were given three basal diets in sequence, each with single or multiple Mn, Zn and Cu supplementation to improve the mineral balance gradually. In the Control, no Mn, Zn, and Cu were added; in the single Mn supplemented group (sMn) Mn was added to 120, 60, and 60 mg/kg for 1-6, 7-12, and 13-18 weeks of age, respectively; in the multiple Mn and Zn supplemented group (mMnZn), Mn was added to 180, 90, and 90 mg/kg and Zn was added to 120, 105, and 105 mg/kg for 1-6, 7-12, and 13-18 weeks of age, respectively; in the multiple Mn, Zn, Cu supplemented group (mMnZnCu), Mn, Zn, and Cu were added to the same multiple of basal Fe concentration relative to NRC (1994) recommendations. Energy and protein metabolizability were determined by subtracting energy/protein intake by energy/protein excretion (from both feces and urine) and dividing by energy/protein intake. There were no statistically significant differences between groups in terms of feed intake, final body weight or tibia length throughout the experiment. Optimal growth performance was observed in the Control, while adding trace minerals to basal diets tended to result in decreased productive performance. Protein metabolizability was increased by mMnZn and mMnZnCu treatments, but energy metabolizability was not affected. Concentrations of Mn, Zn, Cu in excreta varied greatly related to dietary content, and the retentions of Cu, Fe, Zn and Mn were all increased due to the improvement of mineral balance. Based on these results, it is suggested that the concentrations of Cu, Fe, Zn and Mn in typical basal diets used in this study were adequate for normal growth for pullets from 1 to 18 weeks of age.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.291-298
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• 2008

For many years beak trimming has been a controversial subject, particularly since the 1980's when the practice came under close scrutiny by animal welfare groups. In Australia it is considered an essential practice, averting losses of AUD$17.5m annually by reducing mortality from cannibalism. While mortality in flocks from cannibalism can be reduced from 25% of the flock to virtually nil, the beak trimming procedure is considered traumatic for the bird. This study examined if chronic pain in the beak was evident in birds 10, 20 and 60 weeks after being trimmed at hatch and in another group of birds, 8 and 52 weeks after being re-trimmed at 14 weeks. Chronic pain was assessed by measuring pecking behaviour and beak sensitivity responses. Pecking behaviour studies completed after beak trimming and re-trimming showed no evidence to indicate that birds were suffering severe chronic pain in the beak. Beak trimmed pullets pecked more at the cage and had more toe pecks, yet overall pecks made at the feed and the environment were no different than untrimmed controls. While the beak sensitivity studies provided evidence that the beak of birds trimmed at hatch and also re-trimmed at 14 weeks may be more sensitive there was no evidence that re-trimming resulted in a more sensitive beak than birds trimmed at hatch only. These studies have shown that birds which are beak trimmed and re-trimmed return to apparently normal feeding and pecking behaviour in the long term. However, there was limited evidence that beaks of trimmed birds have an altered threshold to potentially painful stimuli.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.125-136
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• 1992

This study was conducted to estimate the effect of dietary alfalfa meal on the contents of egg yolk cholesterol, the levels of egg yolk pigmentation and the performance of laying hens. Alfalfa meal which was alternated wheat bran was supplied 0, 3.5 and 7%, respectively. Total 192 brown laying pullets of 47 weeks old were randomly assigned to the wire cages from July 23 to October 7, 1991 for 10 weeks. The results obtained were summarized as follows ： 1. The egg production was highest at 3.5% alfalfa meal level during the entire period. But there was no significant difference among treatments. 2. Egg weight increased in treatments 3.5 and 7% alfalfa meal supplementation significantly. (P<0.01). 3. Even though there was no significant difference, the daily egg mass was the highest at 3.5% of alfalfa meal level. 4. Daily feed intake was the highest at 3.5% of alfalfa meal level. However, feed conversion rate was the lowest among treatments. 5. The feed cost per kg egg mass in the treatment of 3.5% alfalfa meal was significantly lower than the other treatments. (P<0.05). 6. Shell thickness and shell weight in terms of egg shell quality were increased as the levels of alfalfa meal were increased. But there was no significant difference among treatments. 7, The egg yolk Pigmentation was improved significantly as the level of alfalfa meal was increased (P<0.01). 8.899 yolk cholesterol contents were decreased in the treatments of 3.5 and 7% alfalfa meal supplementation compared with those in the treatment of wheat bran only(P >0.05). The results of this study indicate that 3.5% alfalfa meal level was most effective and economical in laying hen.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.173-178
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• 1988

To study the effects of utilizing extruded full fat soybean (FFS) in layer diets, 300 White Leghorn pullets were put in trial divided into 5 treatments; control (commercial soybean meal as protein source), FFS 50% (replacing 50% of soybean meal with FFS), FFS 100% (replacing all amount of soybean meal with FFS), soybean oil and tallow added treatment. Each treatment consisted of 5 replicates of 12 birds. Egg production and feed efficiency from hens fed control diet were significantly lower than from hens fed the other diets. Significant differences in egg production and feed efficiency were found between the control and the other treatments. Cholesterol concentration of serum and egg yolk were not affected by any dietary treatment. Feeding extruded full fat soybean did not cause pancreatic hypertrophy nor change in mortality. There was an indication that linoleic acid (C18:2), linolenic acid (C18:3) and iodine contents increased in the thigh and egg yolk lipid of the groups fed FFS or soybean soybean can serve as effective protein source for layer diets if economically justified.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.39-53
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• 1987

A total of 1,440 White Leghorn pullets hatched in summer and winter, aged 20 to 72 weeks were fed 9 rations differing in dietary protein (13, 15 and 17%) and energy (2,500, 2,700 and 2,900 kcal/kg) levels for a period of 52 weeks in order to evaluate the optimum dietary energy and protein levels for laying hens. As metabolizable energy level increased from 2,500 to 2,900 kcal/kg of feed egg production, daily feed and protein intake and egg shell quality decreased, but reverse was true for the daily energy intake, energy requirement and feed cost per kg egg, body weight gain, nutrients utilizability and abdominal fat accumulation, Egg weight, viability and egg yolk Pigmentation were not affected by the dietary energy level. On the other hand, as dietary protein level increased from 13 to 17%, egg production, egg weight, daily protein intake, protein requirement per kg egg and body weight gain icreased, but daily feed and energy intake, feed and energy requirement per kg egg, egg yolk pigmentation and dry matter utilizability decreased, and no significant difference in the feed cost per kg egg, viability and egg shell quality was observed among dietary protein levels. However: the hens fed 15% and 17% Protein diets did not show significant differences in egg production, egg weight and body weight gain. For the entire laying period of 52 weeks, metabolizable energy level of 2,500 kcal/kg of feed and 15% dietary protein level were considered to be adequate to support the optimum productivity.