"Information resources on induced molting in chickens 1902-2002"

MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

Nutritional and Lighting Manipulations

Agcanas PB (1971). Observation on the effect of forced-molting of single combed White Leghorn hens due to an abrupt change of feeds. Philippine Journal of Animal Industry 28(1/4): 15-18.

NAL Call Number: 49.9 P53P

Ahmed N; Zia-ur-Rahman; Akram M; Shah TH; Yousaf M (1995). Effect of a new molting program on productive performance of spent layers under indigenous conditions. Pakistan Veterinary Journal 15(1): 46-48

Department of Poultry Science, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad-38040, Pakistan

NAL Call Number: SF604 P32

During the 1st week of Dec., 288 Babcock commercial layers were subjected to a newly developed molting schedule. The fowls had completed their 1st production cycle at 76 weeks of age. The layers were given full feed and 24.5 h light during a premolt period of 3 days, along with treatment for helminths and vaccination for infectious bronchitis and Newcastle disease, and antibiotics during that period. For molting the photoperiod was reduced to 6 h per day for 7 weeks and the birds were subjected to fasting for 1 week accompanied with water deprivation for 3 days. This resulted in body weight reduction by about 27.3% with 1.04% mortality during the 1st week. The average hen-day egg production for the 42-week period was >71% with 89% peak production. The number of eggs laid per hen housed was 207.49 with a marked improvement in egg weight, averaging 63 g.

Descriptors: molting, performance, molt, induction, egg production, tropics

Akram M; Mushtaq-Ul-Hassan M; Farid S; Dar B; Raza NM; Khanum S (2001). Post-moult body weight and production performance of commercial layers induced to moult under various nutritional regimes. Acta Veterinaria (Beograd) 51(2/3 ): 163-170.

Department of Poultry Husbandry, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.

NAL Call Number: 41.8 V6447

The experiment was carried out on 288 commercial (White Leghorn) laying hens available at the age of 71 weeks. Birds were randomly divided into 18 experimental units comprising of 16 birds each. These experimental units were randomly allotted to 6 treatment groups designated as A, B, C, D, E, and F with 3 replications each. All groups were given a pre-moult treatment of vaccination and medication prior to subjecting them to the moulting schedule. Group A was maintained as a control. During the post-moult period, each bird was offered 110 g/day layer mash. Post-moult hen-day production (%), egg mass and feed efficiency (per kg egg mass basis) varied significantly between moulted and non-moulted birds. Less body weight was gained by the birds which were served with restricted feed (1.71 plus or minus 0.11) and corn (1.74 plus or minus 0.15) during the molt. The highest hen-day production (%) (82.87 plus or minus 6.89) and greatest feed efficiency (either per dozen eggs; 1.52 plus or minus 0.13 or per kg egg mass; 2.02 plus or minus 0.22) were noted in the birds which were fed with corn during the moult. Maximum egg weight (65.38 plus or minus 6.18) and feed consumption (743.24 plus or minus 30.50) were recorded in the birds offered with ration No. 3 during the moult.

Descriptors: body weight, egg mass, egg production, eggs, feed conversion, feed intake, feeding, hens, maize, moult, moulting, poultry

Bai Y; Sunde ML; Cook ME (1994). Egg production of laying hens before and after force-molting is not correlated. The Journal of Applied Poultry Research 3(2): 127-132.

University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI.

NAL Call Number: SF481.J68

Descriptors: hens, laying performance, molting, fasting, restricted feeding, refeeding, duration, oats, hen feeding, selection criteria

Baker M; Brake J (1981). Relationship of body weight loss during a forced molt of commercial layers to optimum postmolt performance. Highlights of agricultural research - Alabama, Agricultural Experiment Station 28(2): 16.

NAL Call Number: 100 AL1H

Baker M; Brake J; McDaniel GR (1983). The relationship between body weight loss during an induced molt and postmolt egg production, egg weight, and shell quality in caged layers. Poultry Science 62(3): 409-413.

NAL Call Number: 47.8 Am33P

Two trials were conducted to determine the relationship between percent body weight loss (% BWL) during an induced molt and postmolt performance. The molt was induced by fasting and photoperiod manipulation. Four groups with 24, 27, 31, or 35% BWL (Trial 1) or 20, 25, 30, or 35% BWL (Trial 2) were utilized in each trial. Performance was evaluated on the basis of 24 weeks of egg production and determinations of egg weight (EW), specific gravity (SG), and shell weight (SW) conducted during Weeks 8 (Trial 2 only), 18, and 24 following the removal of feed. The 27 and 31% BWL groups of Trial 1 and the 30 and 35% BWL groups of Trial 2 produced significantly more eggs per hen housed than the remaining treatments in their respective trial. Differences in SG and SW at the end of the trial were most pronounced in Trial 1 where the 27 and 21% BWL groups exhibited significantly greater SG and SW at Week 24 than did the 24 or 35% BWL groups. No significant differences occurred for SG at Week 24 of Trial 2, but the 35% BWL group exhibited significantly improved SW when compared to the 25% BWL group with the remaining groups intermediate. The EW was greatest for the 31% BWL and least for the 35% BWL group at 24 weeks in Trial 1 but did not differ in Trial 2. It was concluded that a body weight loss of approximately 27 to 31% produced optimum postmolt performance.

Descriptors: *Body Weight; *Chickens--physiology--PH; *Oviposition; Egg Shell; Eggs; Housing, Animal

Baloch WA; Suzuki H; Onoue Y (2000). Effect of different fasting and feeding regimes on body weight and productive performance of layers after first induced molt. Pakistan Journal of Zoology 32(3): 275-277.

Department of Freshwater Biology and Fisheries, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan

NAL Call Number: QL1 P3

One hundred and eighty commercial (Babcock) hens, 108 weeks old, after the completion of the first production cycle were kept in 18 experimental units comprising ten birds each. The 18 experimental units were randomly assigned to 6 treatment groups comprising 3 starvation X 2 feeding regimes in a factorial arrangement with 3 replicates. Groups A, B and C were starved for five, ten and 15 days, respectively. Two feeding regimes, feeding daily (groups AD, BD and CD) and on alternate days (groups AE, BE and CE) were carried out for ten days following each starvation regime. The results showed that the group of birds starved for 15 days with alternate day feeding maintained relatively less mean weight (1.51 kg) leading to significantly higher weekly egg number (4.82), egg mass (290.30 g), hen-day production (68.88), and better feed efficiency in terms of feed intake per dozen eggs (1.98) and per kg egg mass (2.75). However, egg weight showed no significant differences in relation to starvation or feeding regime.

Descriptors: body weight, egg production, egg weight, feed conversion efficiency, feed intake, feeding, feeding frequency, fowl feeding, management, poultry, starvation

Bar A; Razaphkovsky V; Wax E; Malka Y (2001). Effect of age at molting on postmolting performance. Poultry Science 80(7): 874-878.

Institute of Animal Science, Agricultural Research Organization, the Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel. ariebar@agri.gov.il

NAL Call Number: 47.8 Am33P

Molt was induced at the 431, 501, or 571 d, in Lohmann (L) and Hy-Line W-77 (H) hens, by 8 or 14 d, respectively, of feed withdrawal followed by a rest period of 16 d. Induced molt resulted in increases in egg production, numbers of intact eggs, egg mass per housed or surviving hen, and shell quality and in decreases in egg breakage (not significant), mortality, and culling. Egg weight was only slightly affected by molt, and the EW of hens induced to molt at 431 or 501 d of age were slightly lower than those of the unmolted hens or of those induced to molt at 571 d. Both strains reacted similarly to molt, although the L hens responded better, and expressed their responses more intensively when induced to molt earlier (431 d). This finding suggests that although different breeds have some effects of molt in common, molt protocols should be finely tuned for each breed. Total intact egg production and egg mass of the molted hens became higher than those of the unmolted hens at 650 to 728 d, which suggests that no benefit would be achieved by rearing molted hens for less than 700 to 730 d.

Descriptors: hens, molting, age, performance, age differences, feed rations, food restriction, egg production, fecundity, egg shell quality, mortality, culling, egg weight, egg mass

Bell D; Kuney D (1984). A comparison of force molting methods. IV. Progress in Poultry “Through Research.” June (27): 6 p.

University of California: Cooperative Extension, University of California.

NAL Call Number: SF487.8.C2P76

Descriptors: hens, molting, strain differences

Bell D; Kuney D (1979). A comparison of force molting methods. II. Progress in Poultry “Through Research.” Feb (15): 11 p.

University of California : Cooperative Extension, University of California.

NAL Call Number: SF487.8.C2P76

Descriptors: hens, molting, laying performance, diet

Bell D; Swanson M; Kuney D (1980). A comparison of force molting methods. III Progress in Poultry “Through Research.” May (21): 6 p.

University of California: Cooperative Extension, University of California.

NAL Call Number: SF487.8.C2P76

Descriptors: hens, molting, laying performance

Bell D (1991). Ten versus fourteen day fasting with and without molt feed. Poultry Adviser 24(12): 59-61.

University of California, Riverside, USA.

NAL Call Number: SF481 P622

White Leghorns of 6 different strains were fed in 4, 28- to 40-week experiments of 10 or 14- days starvation followed by 18 days of diets containing cracked milo (sorghum) or fed immediately on mash diets. Body weight was decreased by 24.5 and 28.8% with 10 and 14 days starvation, respectively. 14 days starvation and 18 days of milo feeding gave the highest hen day egg production (60.9%), increased feed conversion efficiency, decreased mortality and gave favourable shell smoothness and thickness compared to the other treatments.

Bessarabov BF; Zhavoronkova LD; Kuznetsov VS; Gorbachev EP (1973).The use of artificial moulting in commercial poultry production. [Ispol'zovanie metoda iskusstvennoi lin'ki kur v promyshlennom ptitsevodstve.] Sbornik Nauchnykh Trudov. Moskovskaya Veterinarnaya Akademiya No. 71: 131-132.

In a flock of 6000 Katman-63 White Leghorns, aged 552 days, moulting was induced by 3 days of starvation and withholding of water, followed by gradual re-introduction of normal feeding, and restriction of light to 8 h/day, followed after 1 mth by an increase of ½ h light daily until the daily photoperiod reached 16 h. Laying had ceased entirely 5 days after the beginning of starvation, and started again on the 20th day. 50% egg production was reached on day 60. At 620 days of age, egg production percentage was 62 v 30 prior to the moult. Egg weight at 620 days of age in moulted birds was 11.2% greater than that of 16-mth-old, unmoulted birds.

Descriptors: moult, induction, egg production, egg weight

Brake J; Thaxton P; Garlich J D; Sherwood DH (1979). Comparison of fortified ground corn and pullet grower feeding regimes during a forced molt on subsequent layer performance. Poultry Science 58(4): 785-790.

Poultry Science Dep., North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC 27650, USA.

NAL Call Number: 47.8 Am33P

The 160 Hyline W-36 and 3000 Shaver 288 Single-Comb White Leghorn hens were force-molted. Then for 18 days they received ground maize fortified with minerals and vitamins or growing feed for pullets. Performance was measured during the molt and for 5 or 6 periods of 28 days afterwards. Hens given the growing feed began to lay earlier than hens given maize, and reached peak production 4 weeks earlier. They produced more eggs of the same size and shell quality, with better feed utilization and mortality rate than the group given maize. 17 ref.

Descriptors: hen feeding, complete feeds

Buhr RJ; Cunningham DL (1994). Evaluation of molt induction to body weight loss of fifteen, twenty, or twenty-five percent by feed removal, daily limited, or alternate-day feeding of a molt feed. Poultry Science 73(10): 1499-1510.

Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA.

NAL Call Number: 47.8 Am33P

Postmolt egg production variables were compared among hens induced into molt by feed removal, by limited daily feeding of a low-density and low-energy molt feed at 22.8 g per hen, or by limited alternate-day feeding at 45.5 g per hen, until approximate body weight loss of 15, 20, and 25% was obtained. Hens were housed two per cage (25.4 x 45.7 cm) in a house of environmental design, and photoperiod was reduced to 8 h during the 28-d molt period. When target body weight loss was obtained, packed cell volume was determined and hens were maintained on 45.5 g/d of 1.2% calcium prelay feed through the 28-d molt period. Egg production and mortality were recorded daily; egg weight, egg specific gravity, body weight, and feed intake were recorded at 4-wk intervals postmolt. Packed cell volume of hens molted by feed removal (36.4%) was higher (P < .01) than that of alternate-day (34.1%) or daily limited (33.6%) hens. Hens that lost 25% of their body weight had higher packed cell volume (36.3%) than hens that had body weight loss of 20% (34.4%) or hens that lost 15% (33.4%). Postmolt mortality and egg production were not different (P > .05) as a result of molt induction method or percentage body weight loss. At the 4th wk postmolt, body weights were 50 and 57 g heavier for hens that had lost 15% body weight than those that lost 25 or 20%, respectively, and egg production was negatively linearly related to body weight loss. From the 8th to the 28th wk postmolt, within 4-wk periods, molt induction method or percentage body weight loss did not affect feed consumption (91.8 to 103.9 g), egg weight (66.0 to 66.2 g), egg specific gravity (1.0823 to 1.0831), or body weight (1,634 to 1,788 g).

Descriptors: hens, molting, weight losses, body weight, hematocrit, egg production, feed intake, fasting, mortality

Camiruaga LM (1977). El ave de postura. Pro y contra de la pelecha forzada [The laying hen. The pros and cons of forced molting]. Journal: Campesino 108(12): 26-33.

Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago

NAL Call Number: 9.3 So12

Castanon F; Leeper RW; Parsons CM (1990). Evaluation of corn gluten feed in the diets of laying hens. Poultry Science 69(1): 90-97.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL

NAL Call Number: 47.8 AM33P

The use of corn gluten feed (CGF) in the diets of laying hens and in induced molting programs was investigated through four experiments. The first two experiments evaluated the effects of CGF on egg production from 23 to 56 or from 32 to 65 wk of age. Graded levels of CGF from 0 to 25% were added to a corn-soybean meal, control diet (16.5% CP) in a nonisocaloric and an isocaloric manner. The ratio for dietary MEn:protein was held constant in some diets, but varied in others. The nonisocaloric inclusion of up to 25% CGF did not negatively affect egg production in either experiment. When 25% CGF was fed to the 32 wk old hens, egg weight was decreased. Egg weight was also decreased when 10% CGF or higher levels were fed to the younger hens. The nonisocaloric addition of CGF also increased feed intake and decreased feed efficiency (gram of egg per gram of feed) in most cases. Isocaloric inclusion of 15% CGF did not affect egg-production parameters, but 25% CGF negatively affected most parameters. When the ratio for MEn:protein of the CGF diets was equal to that of the control diet, 25% CGF negatively affected most parameters, 17.5% CGF decreased egg weight and feed efficiency, and 10% CGF increased egg production. Feed intake was increased at all of the CGF levels. Two additional experiments evaluated CGF in programs for induced molting. The molting procedure involved feed withdrawal for 10 days followed by feeding molt diets consisting of 99.75% corn, 99.75% CGF, 49.75% corn:50% CGF, or two grower-type diets for pullets (15% CP) containing 25% CGF or 18.5% wheat bran. The two grower-type diets for pullets yielded similar and significantly greater postmolt gains in body weight and early postmolt egg production (3 wk) than did the other diets. The corn:CGF diet also yielded greater postmolt weight gains and early postmolt egg production than the 100% corn or 100% CGF diets. Long-term postmolt egg production (30 or 37 wk) was not affected by the molt diets.

Descriptors: *Animal Feed; *Animal Nutrition; *Chickens--physiology--PH; *Gluten--administration and dosage--AD ; Chickens--growth and development--GD; Corn; Oviposition

Cave NAG (1983). Effect of duration of induced-molting period on broiler breeder hens. Poultry Science 62(7): 1398.

Agriculture Canada, Centre for Animal Research, Ottawa KLA 0C6, Ontario, Canada

NAL Call Number: 47.8 Am33P

Christmas RB (1987). Short rests versus long molt of laying hens. Proceedings of the ... Florida Poultry Institute (46th): 42-52.

University of Florida, Chipley, FL

NAL Call Number: SF481.2.F56

Descriptors: hens, eggs, egg production, molt, rest, specific gravity, laying performance

Christmas RB (1986). Recent force resting procedures for laying hens. Poultry Adviser 19(11): 27-34.

Poultry Science Dep., Univ. Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

NAL Call Number: SF481 P622

Laying hens are force-rested one or more times during their productive life in order to improve egg-shell quality, egg production and cash flow. Force-resting includes starvation for 7 to 10 days with or without water for 1 day. Starvation is followed by feeding on a low-protein, low-calcium diet until egg production is resumed. Literature on force-resting of layers is reviewed.

Descriptors: egg shell quality; egg production, force resting

Christmas RB; Harms RH (1984). The subsequent performance of hens subjected to standard or short 4 day force rest methods. Poultry Science 63(SUPPL. 1): 79-80.

Dep. Poultry Sci., Univ. Fla., Gainesville, FL 32611.

NAL Call Number: 47.8 Am33P

Christmas RB; Harms RH (1983). The performance of four strains of laying hens subjected to various postrest combinations of calcium and phosphorus after forced rest in winter or summer. Poultry Science 62(9): 1816-1822.

NAL Call Number: 47.8 AM33P

Four strains of laying hens, including one brown egg strain, were force-rested in February at approximately 62 weeks of age. Hens from the same four strains, which were the same age, were also force-tested under similar conditions during August of the same year. In each of the two trials, a total of 2300 hens were housed at the rate of two per 25.4 x 45.7-cm cage. The resting procedure for both studies included feed withdrawal for 9 or 10 days followed by feeding a 8.6% protein diet for 25 days. Water was supplied at all times. After the 35-day resting period, the hens were assigned to four calcium and phosphorus combinations, which varied from the duplication of a first-year pullet phase feeding program to the feeding of a final phase type diet for the entire postrest production period. Nutrient level within each dietary system was adjusted periodically based on daily feed intake. Strain performance differences were observed in both seasons. Rate of return to production and postrest production rates were similar to the patterns observed within the respective strain's performance during the pullet year. This was noted in both studies. Relative strain production performance, however, when compared to the other strains, was not consistent between the two rest seasons. There was no difference in performance due to calcium and phosphorus treatment utilized in either postrest production season.

Descriptors: *Calcium Phosphates--administration and dosage--AD; *Calcium, Dietary --administration and dosage--AD; *Chickens--physiology--PH; *Oviposition ; Body Weight; Chickens--genetics--GE; Seasons

CAS Registry No.: 0 (Calcium, Dietary); 10103-46-5 (calcium phosphate)

Christmas RB; Harms RH (1983). The effect of protein level during force-rest recovery on the performance of winter or spring rested laying hens. Poultry Science 62(7): 1403.

University of Florida, Dept of Poultry Science, Gainesville, Florida 32611

NAL Call Number: 47.8 AM33P

Christmas RB; Harms RH (1983). Performance of laying hens subjected to various nutritional systems after force-rest in the winter or summer. Poultry Science 62 (7): 1402.

University of Florida, Dept of Poultry Science, Gainesville, Florida 32611

NAL Call Number: 47.8 AM33P

Christmas RB; Harms RH (1983). Subsequent post-rest performance of laying hens as affected by water restriction at 2 different times during the force rest period. Poultry Science 62(7): 1341.

University of Florida, Dept of Poultry Science, Gainesville, Florida 32611

NAL Call Number: 47.8 AM33P

Christmas RB; Harms RH (1983). The postrest performance of laying hens subjected to early or late water restriction during the feed withdrawal period (Force-rest). Poultry Science 62(12): 2489-2491.

NAL Call Number: 47.8 AM33P

Christmas RB; Harms RH (1983). The performance of four strains of laying hens subjected to various postrest combinations of calcium and phosphorous after forced rest in winter or summer (Metabolism and nutrition). Poultry Science 62(9): 1816-1822.

NAL Call Number: 47.8 AM33P

Christmas RB; Harms RH (1982). The effect of various post molt nutritional systems on the performance of 4 strains of laying hens force molted in the winter or the summer. Poultry Science 61(7): 1438.

Univ. Florida, Dep. Poultry Sci., Gainesville, Florida

NAL Call Number: 47.8 AM33P

Descriptors: protein, diet, feed withdrawal, egg production

Christmas RB; Harms RH; Junqueira OM (1985). Performance of Single Comb White Leghorn hens subjected to 4 or 10-day feed withdrawal force rest procedures. Poultry Science 64(12): 2321-2324.

NAL Call Number: 47.8 AM33P

Descriptors: hens, laying performance, molting, egg shell quality, rest, fasting

El-Beeli MYM; El-Zubeir EA (1991). Feeding whole-grain sorghum (Feteraitea) as a resting agent in egg-type breeder hens. Sudan Journal of Animal Production 4(2): 121-131.

Institute of Animal Production, University of Khartoum, Khartoum North, Sudan.

Use of whole-grain sorghum to induce moulting in egg-type breeder hens and whether forced moulting techniques would have beneficial effects on reproductive performance were studied. Hens in 5 groups were fed on a control diet of ground sorghum 600, wheat bran 160, sesame meal 50, groundnut meal 50, fish meal 50, oyster shell 80 and NaCl 5 g/kg, or that diet plus zinc oxide 25 or potassium iodide 6.58 g/kg, or the control diet devoid of oyster shell or made up entirely of whole-grain sorghum. During the first 28 days of the trial, all hens received the control diet, and then for 21 weeks they were fed on each of the 5 group-diets. With the high-Zn, high-iodine, low-calcium and whole-grain sorghum diets, the number of days it took the hens to achieve minimum egg production was 20, 17, 70 and 26 days, respectively, and average daily feed intake was 59.1, 84.4, 58.9 and 90.0 g. During the 2nd phase of laying from 73 to 97 weeks old, percentage hen-day egg yield was 48.2, 38.5, 41.0, 47.8 and 38.4, in the 5-group order. Percentage mortality was 8.3, 15.9, 8.0, 8.0 and 9.4. There were no significant differences between groups in mean egg weight or Haugh units. Egg shell thickness was 0.048, 0.054, 0.052, 0.0511 and 0.053 cm; percentage egg fertility, 66.5, 74.3, 60.1, 56.9 and 81.6; and percentage hatchability, 71.7, 70.8, 60.3, 63.9 and 61.5. It was concluded that whole-grain sorghum can be used successfully to induce molting in egg-type breeder hens.

Descriptors: hen feeding, moulting, egg fertility, egg hatchability, zinc, iodine, supplements, hens

Embleton H; Hinds H B (1941). Poultry feeding experiments / by H. Embleton; Molting and housing experiments / by H.B. Hinds. Bulletin / University of Arizona, College of Agriculture, Agricultural Experiment Station no. 177: 331-365.

University of Arizona Agricultural Experiment Station Tucson, Ariz. : University of Arizona NAL Call Number: 100 Ar4 no.177

Descriptors: poultry, Arizona, feeding and feeds, feed utilization efficiency, housing, molting

Emeash HH; Attia MZ (1998). Performance and behavioural characters of layers as influenced by forced molt. Proceedings of the Fifth conference of the Egyptian Veterinary Poultry Association, p. 217-233

Cairo Univ., Beni-Suef (Egypt). Faculty of Veterinary Medicine)

Descriptors in English: layer chickens, forced molting, laying performance, blood composition, age, cages, egg production, behaviour , animal housing, animal husbandry methods, animal performance, animal production, birds, blood, chickens, domestic animals, galliformes, livestock, poultry, production

Escalante Cruz RE; Herrera Crespo JA; Lozano Torres MN; Oliveros Carballosa OO (1993). Evaluation of two systems of induced molting in commercial White Leghorn laying hens. [Evaluacion de dos sistemas de muda forzada en la ponedora comercial Leghorn blanca.] Revista de Produccion Animal, Cuba 7(3): 105-108.

Combinado Avicola Nacional, Camaguey, Cuba.

32,512 hens were deprived of water for 3 days and of food for 7 days (group 1), and 70,500 hens were deprived of water for 3 days and of food for 10 days (group 2). After treatment, the egg production was 50.6 and 50.3% respectively for hens in the 2 groups, egg production per hen averaged 157.2 and 153.6 respectively, food intake per kg eggs 2.32 and 2.44 kg, and the percentage of normal eggs was 96.1 and 96.0. All differences between groups were non-significant, but the 10-day fast produced a significant saving in feeding costs compared with the 7-day fast. Mortality was <2% in both groups.

Descriptors: hens, profitability, restricted feeding, molting, induction, egg production, feed conversion efficiency, mortality, tropics, laying performance

Farran MT; Dakessian PB; Darwish AH; Uwayjan MG; Dbouk HK; Sleiman FT; Ashkarian VM (2001). Performance of broilers and production and egg quality parameters of laying hens fed 60% raw or treated common vetch (Vicia sativa) seeds. Poultry Science 80(2): 203-208.

NAL Call Number: 47.8 Am33P

Two experiments were conducted to study the effect of feeding 60% untreated (U) or coarsely ground treated vetch (V) seeds on performance of broilers and laying hens. In Experiment 1, the V seeds were soaked in 1% NaHCO3 (1:10) or in 1% acetic acid (1:5) at room temperature for 24 h (RTAA). Birds on the NaHCO3-treated V diet had 100% mortality rate but had significantly longer survival time than those on UV (14.9 vs 5.1 d). Birds on RTAA-V survived and had similar BW and feed conversion but greater kidney size than those of the controls at 7 wk of age (P < 0.05). In Experiment 2, control, UV, V soaked in water at 40 C (40WV), RTAA-V, and V soaked in acetic acid at 40 C (40AAV) diets were fed to laying hens for 84 d. The ground seeds in RTAA-V and 40AAV were soaked in acetic acid (1:10) at room temperature or at 40 C, respectively, for 24 h. For 40WV, the seeds were soaked in water (1:10) at 40 C for 72 h with a water change every 12 h. The UV-fed hens ceased egg production within 14 d and had the highest BW loss and the lowest feed intake among all treatments (P < 0.05). The 40WV and 40AAV significantly improved these criteria. Moreover, the RTAA-V resulted in performance comparable to that of the controls. Eggs produced by hens on treated V diets had similar weight but higher Haugh unit score (11 points), thinner shell, and lower yolk color score than those of the controls (P < 0.05). Results indicated that RTAA-V at 60% dietary level was not detrimental to broilers and laying hens.

Descriptors: broilers, hens, vetch, vicia sativa, seeds, chemical treatment, sodium bicarbonate, acetic acid, detoxification, poisoning, mortality, liveweight gain, feeds, feed conversion, dressing percentage, feed intake, molting, laying performance, egg weight, egg quality, egg shell thickness

Fedorchenko NG; Bololepov VI (1978). Artificial induction of moulting in hens and its use in reducing mortality from disease. [Kotsenke metodov iskusstvennoi lin'ki kur.] Veterinariya, Moscow, USSR (No. 10): 86-87.

Laboratoriya po Boleznei Molodnyaka Zhivotnykh, Ministerstvo Sel'skogo Khozyaistva, Moscow, USSR.

During artificial moult induction by restricted drinking, feeding and lighting regimes (conventional) the main cause of losses was leukosis (40%). With administration of an anabolic, losses were due mainly to diseases of the egg-forming organs (71.5%). With I/m injection of 1-2.5% oily solution of progesterone, losses occurred from leukosis, diseases of the egg-forming organs, hepatitis and visceral gout. Total losses by the three methods were (respectively) 1.7% of 596 birds, 2.25% of 301, and 1.4% of 294 birds. Other losses were due to cannibalism, pneumonia and colibacteriosis (first method) and enteritis (second method). The first method may be included in control measures for leukosis and other diseases in a breeding flock.

Descriptors: progesterone, anabolics, moulting, hens, poultry, moult, induction, mortality, poultry diseases

Fratila SO; Nedelescu P (1981).Technique of forced molting in layer hens. [Contributii la tehnica napirlirii fortate a gainilor ouatoare.] Revista de Cresterea Animalelor 31(10): 19-23.

NAL Call Number: 49 P943

Descriptors: hens, feathers, molting

Garcia EA; Mendes AA; Curi PR; Pinto MCL; Silva ABP da; Poiatti ML (1996). An evaluation of performance and egg quality of semi-heavy laying hens submitted to induced molt and fed low energy rations during different periods. [Parametros productivos e qualidade dos ovos de poedeiras semipesadas, alimentadas com racao de baixa densidade por diferentes periodos durante a muda forcada.] Veterinaria e Zootecnia 8: 75-84.

Departamento de Producao e Exploracao Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinaria e Zootecnia, UNESP, 18618-000, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.

NAL Call Number: SF604 V466

Descriptors: fowl feeding, egg production, performance, egg quality, hens, molting, energy deprivation, feeds, poultry

Garlich JD; Anderson KE; Brake J (1995). Molt induction by fasting: Effects of vitamin and electrolyte supplementation in the drinking water. Poultry Science 74(Suppl. 1): 190.

Dep. Poultry Science., N.C. State Univ., Raleigh, North Carolina

NAL Call Number: 47.8 AM33P

Descriptors: chickens, hens, erythrocyte biochemistry

Garlich JD; Parkhurst CR (1982). Increased egg production by calcium supplementation during the initial fasting period of a forced molt (Laying hens). Poultry Science 61(5): 955-961.

NAL Call Number: 47.8 AM33P

Gerry RW (1979). The effect of forced molting (resting) on the performance of chickens laying brown eggs. Bulletin, Life Sciences and Agriculture Experiment Station, University of Maine May, Bulletin #755, 19 pp.

NAL Call Number: 100-M28S-1

The results of a series of experiments designed to study the effects of periodic forced molting (by withdrawal of feed and/or water and manipulation of the lighting pattern) on the performance of medium-weight hens, (including breeders) laying brown eggs are reported. The study involved 2 types of birds, 2 experiments of 2 trials each, 2 laying years/trial, 2 types of housing (floors and cages) and several replicates of each treatment in each trial. All of the molting techniques reported caused the birds to cease egg production rapidly and did not cause excessive feather loss. The speed at which birds returned to production depended on the treatment received after the molt, but there appeared to be no advantage to prolonging the rest period. Egg production and feed efficiency over 2 years were not consistently improved although some improvement in egg production was usually observed following the molt. This varied from 10% among birds molted after 12 months of lay to no improvement among birds which had been subjected to a third molt after 18 months of lay. Greater mortality occurred during the first year of the 2-year trials and mortality tended to be less among birds which were molted more often. Treatment had little or no effect on egg weights but improved shell thickness in the second experiment. Interior egg quality, measured in Haugh units, improved after nearly every molt. The performance of force-molted breeding hens was similar and fertility and hatchability after recovery from the molt were similar to those from control hens.

Descriptors: egg production, forced molting

Gulyamov KKH; Komilov DK; Chugunkin DN; Akhmadov T (1977). Productivity, respiratory gas exchange and heat production in hens force-moulted by different regimes of starvation and water availability in a hot climate. [Produktivnost' I gazoenergeticheskii obmen u kur-nesushek, podvergnutykh lin-ke pri razlichnom rezhime golodaniya I dostupa k vode v usloviyakh zharkogo klimata.] Zhivotnovodstva 9: 139-148.

Tematicheskii Sbornik Nauchnykh Trudov. Tadzhikskii Nauchno-Issledovatel' skii Institut

NAL Call Number: 49 Z6

In the experiment, groups 1-4, each of 1840 line 18 Katman crossbred fowls weighing, on average, 1272-1548 g before the experiment, were force-moulted by withdrawing food for 5, 8, 10 and 12 days resp., after which ad lib. feeding was progressively reintroduced over a 6-day period. Two subgroups of each group were, resp., (a) deprived of water for 3 days at the start of the experiment, and (b) given water ad lib. Egg production traits were recorded for 212 days after starvation. For the 8 subgroups resp. (i.e. 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, etc.), egg weight averaged 60.1, 60.1, 60.5, 59.5, 59.8, 60.2, 60.9 and 59.9 g v 58.6 for all hens before the forced molt, shape index 1.38, 1.38, 1.40, 1.38, 1.38, 1.38, 1.40 and 1.38 v 1.36, egg sp. gr. 1.081, 1.078, 1.081, 1.081, 1.079, 1.081, 1.079 and 1.082 v 1.068, percentage of albumen in the egg 52.77, 52.33, 51.58, 52.43, 52.49, 53.01, 52.86 and 52.62 v 58.56, percentage of yolk 36.06, 36.33, 36.90, 37.06, 36.36, 36.72, 35.90 and 36.10 v 31.39, shell thickness 327, 329, 336, 341, 336, 334, 337 and 335 v 309 mu , albumen index 0.086, 0.086, 0.085, 0.086, 0.086, 0.086, 0.084 and 0.085 v 0.086, yolk index 0.431, 0.426, 0.428, 0.423, 0.426, 0.426, 0.422 and 0.429 v 0.418, percentage of hens culled 5.5, 5.7, 5.9, 5.6, 5.3, 5.1, 5.4 and 5.7 v 2.3, number of eggs laid during the experiment 84.08, 87.34, 87.80, 91.27, 83.61, 83.52, 89.82 and 97.27, and weight of food consumed/kg eggs laid 4.14, 3.96, 3.90, 3.76, 4.19, 4.01, 3.84 and 3.47 v 6.16 kg.

Descriptors: moult, induction, laying performance, nutrition, food restriction, water deprivation

Gupta JJ; Singh KS (1987). Force molting by nutritional manipulation. Indian Journal of Poultry Science : Official Journal of the Indian Poultry Science Association. 22(3): 221-222.

ICAR Research Complex, Bishnupur, Shillong

NAL Call Number: SF481.I5

Descriptors: hen feeding, molting, egg production

Harms RH (1983). The relationship of molted primaries of commercial layers to first egg after molt. Poultry Science 62(6): 1123-1124.

NAL Call Number: 47.8 AM33P

The number of primary feathers molted was observed when hens were force molted in two separate experiments. The number of days required for the hens to return to production was directly related ® = .98, Experiment 2) to the number of primary feathers molted.

Descriptors: *Chickens--physiology--PH; *Oviposition ; Dietary Proteins--administration and dosage--AD; Feathers--physiology--PH

Harms RH (1983). Influence of protein level in the resting diet upon performance of force rested hens. Poultry Science 62(2): 273-276.

NAL Call Number: 47.8 AM33P

Hassanein EI; Awadallah SA; Ismail EY; Zahran KA (1985). Induction of forced molting in Isa-Brown layers by continuous food deprivation. Alexandria Journal of Veterinary Science 1(2): 93-102.

Zagazig Univ., Egypt, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

Descriptors in English: chickens, weight, forced molting, laying performance, feed conversion efficiency, starvation, biological development, birds, digestibility, domestic animals, domesticated birds, feeding, galliformes, livestock, molting, nutritive value, performance, poultry, quality, useful animals

Hembree DJ; Adams AW; Craig JV (1980). Effects of force-molting by conventional and experimental light restriction methods on performance and agonistic behavior of hens. Poultry Science 59(2): 215-223.

Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas

NAL Call Number: 47.8 AM33P

White Leghorn females , aged 68 wk, were subjected to a stress period (no feed and 8-h light per day for 10 days) followed by a period when they were fed ground corn and given 8-h light per day for 18 days, or were given the same treatment except that the ground corn was supplemented with cystine, glycine, serine and threonine. White Leghorns not subjected to forced molting served as controls. During the molting period, the percentage hen-day production was 4.9 and 56.2 (P<0.05) for force-molted and control hens resp. The corresponding percentages during the first 28 days after molting were approx. 24 and 50 (P<0.05), and during 140 days after molting they were approx. 57 and 56.2 (P<0.05). In a 2nd experiment, White Leghorn females induced to molt by a regime of cracked corn and no light for 10 days produced heavier eggs (P<0.05) after molting than hens induced to molt by starvation and 8-h light per day.

Descriptors: molt, induction, laying performance, light, egg production, restriction, molt induction, force molting

Hembree DJ; Adams AW; Craig JV (1978). Effects of light restriction and amino acid supplementation on performance and agonistic behavior of forced-molted hens. Poultry Science 57(4): 1143-1144.

Dep. Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS 66506, USA.

NAL Call Number: 47.8 AM33P

Descriptors: hen feeding, amino acids, egg production, lighting

Herrick RB; Ross E (1986). Intermittent and low-intensity lighting for force-molted laying hens. Research series - Hawaii Agricultural Experiment Station, Hitahr College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. July, No. 049: 10 p.

Manoa : Hawaii Agricultural Experiment Station.

NAL Call Number: S539.5.R43

Descriptors: hens, molting, lighting, hen feeding, egg production, strain differences

Hill AT; Richards JF (1975). Effects of limited watering time on the performance of caged pullets and hens. Poultry Science 54(5): 1704-1706.

Research Station, Agriculture Canada, Agassiz, British Columbia, V0M 1A0, Canada.

NAL Call Number: 47.8 AM33P

In 3 trials with a total of 640 pullets and 592 year-old hens, all Leghorns, some had water freely and others were offered it for 5 equally spaced periods daily, each of 25 min. For pullets, water restriction had no significant effect on egg production, feed conversion or mortality. For hens, it improved feed conversion significantly. In the second year of life, total number of eggs rose significantly when water was restricted immediately after the forced moult. Restriction had no effect on egg weight or the proportion of egg white solids or yolk solids.

Descriptors: hens, feed conversion efficiency, egg production, water restriction

Hurwitz S; Bornstein S; Lev Y (1975). Some responses of laying hens to induced arrest of egg production. Poultry Science 54(2): 415-22.

NAL Call Number: 47.8 AM33P

Arrest of egg production was induced by forced-molt (artificial light deprivation and feed deprivation for 10 days followed by 20 days of grain only) and by low-calcium regime in one experiment, and by Nicarbazin in another. Post-arrest production and shell quality significantly surpassed the control in the force-molt but not in the low-Ca treatment. At the onset of production, following the pause, egg weight and shell weight per unit of surface area rapidly increased up to the 9-10th egg. In the second trial, feed intake declined in about one week after the arrest in egg production to a non-layer level. During this week, body weight increased. However, despite the increase in feed intake after the onset of production, pre-arrest levels were not obtained even after 11 days, resulting in a loss of body weight. The separation of flock production into its components, rate of production of the layers, and the proportion of layers in the flock, is proposed.

Descriptors: *Chickens--physiology--PH; *Oviposition ; Animal Feed; Body Weight; Calcium, Dietary--administration and dosage--AD; Calcium, Dietary--metabolism--ME; Cereals; Chickens--metabolism--ME; Dietary Proteins--metabolism--ME; Egg Shell; Eggs; Fasting; Light; Nicarbazin--pharmacology--PD; Phosphates--administration and dosage--AD; Phosphates--metabolism--ME

Hurwitz S; Wax E; Nisenbaum Y; Plavnik I (1995). Responses of laying hens to forced molt procedures of variable length with or without light restriction. Poultry Science 74(11): 1745-1753.

Agricultural Research Organization, Bet Dagan, Israel.

NAL Call Number: 47.8 Am33P

The importance of the length of the rest period and of photoperiod as components of the forced molt procedure was evaluated in 650- and 560-d-old Lohman hens. The procedure included an 8-d feed withdrawal phase and rest periods varying from 0 to 35 d, during which the birds were fed for maintenance only. In the first trial, forced molt was applied with or without omission of artificial illumination. The rest period varied between 2 and 20 d. In the second trial, all treatments included omission of artificial illumination, and a variable rest period between 0 and 35 d. Egg production ceased, after 4 to 5 d of feed withdrawal and resumed 8 to 15 d after the end of the rest period, without any consistent response to its length. Forced molt stimulated egg production rate and diminished its age-dependent rate of decline, reduced the proportion of broken and shell-less eggs, and improved shell quality. Following wide oscillations proportional to the length of the rest period, egg weight stabilized at levels similar to that of the unmolted controls. Feed intake was stimulated by forced molt to levels exceeding those of the control hens. Body weight increased during the postmolt period to levels slightly exceeding those of unmolted controls. Results of one trial show that omission of artificial illumination was essential for the full expression of the molt responses. In the other trial, production rate and shell quality were improved and the percentage of broken eggs was reduced when the length of the rest period was increased. Maximal improvements appears to have been reached with rests periods of 14 to 21 d.

Descriptors: hens, molting, fasting, restricted feeding, duration, laying performance, egg shell quality, body weight, light regime, feed intake, unrestricted feeding, egg weight, egg shell defects, broken eggs

Hurwitz S; Wax E; Nisenbaum Y; Ben-Moshe M; Plavnik I (1998). The response of laying hens to induced molt as affected by strain and age. Poultry Science 77(1): 22-31.

Agricultural Research Organization, Bet Dagan, Israel.

NAL Call Number: 47.8 Am33P

Molt was induced in 502-d-old Lohmann, Hy-Line W-77, Yafa, and Yarkon strains of laying hens (Experiment 1), and at different ages during the 1st yr of production in the Lohmann strain (Experiment 2). The induced molt treatment included an 8-d feed withdrawal period followed by a 22-d rest period during which the birds received 60 or 70 g/d of a low-nutrient maintenance diet, in both experiments, respectively, and a reduced duration of daylight. In both experiments, induced molt resulted in an increase in postmolt egg production rate and a diminution of the rate of decline of production with age. The first eggs during the postmolt period were smaller than those of the unmolted birds but egg size increased rapidly to control levels. Egg breakage was markedly reduced by induced molt and its rate of increase with age was diminished. Postmolt feed intake was higher than that of the unmolted birds and body weights reached values higher than those of the controls. Those responses were not different among strains but the ranking among the strains in the molted group was similar to that of the unmolted controls, for all production traits. The postmolt rate of production approached that of first cycle peak and was not affected by treatment age. Shell quality as reflected by the percentage of breakage during the postmolt period was similar to that of the unmolted controls approximately 3 to 4 mo earlier

Descriptors: hens, molting, induction, strain differences, laying performance, egg shell quality, age differences, egg weight, body weight, egg shell, weight, egg shell defects, breakage, feed intake

Huyghebaert G; Fontaine G; Groote G de (1977). Vergelijkende studie van enkele kunstmatige ruimethoden bij W.L.-hennen [Comparative study of different treatments of forced molting in White Leghorn hens]. Landbouwtijdschrift 30(4): 957-977.

Rijkscentrum voor Landbouwkundig Onderzoek, Merelbeke, Belgium. Rijksstation voor Kleinveeteelt)

NAL Call Number: 13 L233

Ingram DR; Mather FB (1988). White Leghorn production parameters as affected by body weight loss and length of rest period during a force molt. Nutrition Reports International 37(5): 901-908.

Dep. Poultry Science, Louisiana Agriculture Experiment Station, Louisiana State Univ. Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA

NAL Call Number: RC620 A1N8

In a 40-week 3 x 3 factorial design experiment 720 65-week-old Shaver 288A White Leghorn hens within 1.5 standard deviation of mean body weight were deprived of feed to achieve weight losses of 10 to 15, 20 to 25 or 30 to 35% and this weight maintained for 1, 3 or 5 weeks by feeding on ground maize every other day. After the treatment period, standard laying rations were given ad libitum. Egg production was recorded daily, egg weight and specific gravity were estimated on 3 days' eggs when egg production after molting reached 50% of premolting rate and once monthly afterwards. All treatments improved egg production over premolt birds, but overall postmolt hen-day egg production was not significantly different among treatments. Specific gravity was affected more by length of rest than weight loss.

Descriptors: egg production, molt

Jan ML (1982). Effects of force-molting on egg production of White Leghorn under subtropical environment. II. Effects of body weight and feed withdrawal time on egg production of force molted hens. T'ai-wan hsu mu shou I hsueh hui hui pao = The Taiwan Journal of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry 40 (August): 39-44.

NAL: 49 J822

Junqueira OM; Custodio RWS; Carvalho NP; Ariki J (1979). Effect of method of forced molting on laying hens. [O efeito de metodos de muda forcada no desempenho de galinhas reprodutoras.] Cientifica 7(Special No.): 119-122.

NAL Call Number: SF604 C55

In 180 laying hens of different strains natural molting was compared with forced molting. Forced molting was induced at the start of natural molting to increase feather loss and completely stop laying. For forced molting there was total restriction of feed for 15 days and of water for 7, then 40 g feed was supplied daily for 4 days, subsequently 80 g daily for 11 days and finally 120 g. Egg weight was not affected significantly by method of molting, but egg production was increased after forced molting.

Descriptors: egg production, forced molting

Kalayci UM (1990). Effects of breeding intensity and methods of molting preparations on the performance of light and medium weight laying hens in the second laying season [Auswirkungen der Aufzuchtintensitat und der Methodik der Mausereinleitung auf die Leistungen leichter und mittelschwerer Legehennen in der zweiten Legeperiode.] Thesis (doctoral)--Universitat Bonn, Germany, 137 p.

NAL Call Number: 105.8 B644 1990 [no.26]

Karunajeewa H; Tham SH; Hofmann A; Harris P (1986). The effects of rice by-products, acidulated soapstock and sunflower seeds on the laying performance of induced moulted hens. Archiv fur Geflugelkunde 50(5): 193-197.

Animal Research Inst., Princes Highway, Werribee, Vic. 3030, Australia

NAL Call Number: 47.8 AR2

From 72 to 92 weeks old a total of 576 induced-moulted White Leghorn hens were in 6 treatment groups. The control diet (B1) was based on wheat and meat-and-bone meal and had linoleic acid 0.69%. In diets B2, B3 and B4 some of the wheat and meat-and-bone meal was replaced by either acidulated soapstock (ASS) rice pollard (RP) or deoiled rice pollard (DRP) to increase the linoleic acid contents in these diets to 1.00, 1.21 and 0.82%, respectively. In diets B5 and B6 mixtures of DRP and ASS (B5) and DRP and sunflower seeds (B6) were used to increase the linoleic acid content to 1.13 and 1.14%. All 6 diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous and isoenergetic (11.63 MJ/kg). Methionine (0.26%) and lysine (0.69%) in diets were equalized by supplementation with synthetic methionine and L-lysine HCl. Calcium in the diets was equalized to 3.4% but phosphorus varied with the inclusion of RP and DRP. Diets were given in the mash form for 5 periods of 28 days each. Increasing the linoleic acid content from 0.69 to 1.21% had no significant effect on egg weight or other production characteristics (rate of lay, daily feed intake, feed intake/kg eggs, body weight at 92 weeks, mortality). Inclusion of 2.16% ASS containing rapeseed soapstock reduced the proportion of eggs >65 g, and the inclusion of 1.67% whole sunflower seeds reduced the Haugh units (albumen quality) of eggs. The fatty acid composition of egg yolk was affected by the composition of the dietary fats.

Descriptors: rice byproducts, hen feeding, soapstock, sunflower seeds, egg production, nutrition, poultry

Kashiwagi S; Shirasaki K; Kaizuka T; Nakaso H; Iwase N; Yamao H; Takahashi Y; Matsuzaki M; Ikeda K; Okuyama M (1981). Effects of restricted feeding during the rearing period and of induced molting during the laying period on laying performance of hens. Japanese Poultry Science 18(2): 67-77.

Kagoshima Prefectural Poultry Experiment Station, Sendai-shi 895, Japan.

NAL Call Number: 47.8 N57

Two experiments were carried out in each of 9 poultry research stations. In each station one group of chickens was fed to appetite as a control and the others were given a restricted amount of feed every other day so that feed intake from 4 to 18 weeks of age was calculated to be 60% of that for unrestricted controls. After 18 weeks of age, all of the chicks were fed to appetite. At 20 weeks of age, the hens of both groups were sub-divided into 4 sub-groups each. The hens of the first and second sub-group were force-molted at 80 and 92 weeks of age, respectively. The hens in the third and the last sub-group were force-molted at 56 and 68 weeks of age, respectively, and all the hens were again force-molted at 96 weeks of age. All hens were kept until 128 weeks of age. Restricted feeding delayed sexual maturity, but resulted in larger first egg than those from hens fed to appetite. Bodyweight and daily feed intake of hens of the restricted group were less than for those of the unrestricted hens throughout the laying period, while mean egg weight of the former was less than that of the latter. Egg production of unrestricted hens was lower than that of hens on the restricted feeding programme after peak production. Among the 4 sub-groups on the restricted feeding programme, average egg production was almost the same regardless of age at the start of molting. In contrast, with unrestricted hens average egg production of the sub-group forced to molt twice at 56 and 96 weeks of age was the highest. Over 128 weeks the feed intake/kg eggs was significantly less for restricted hens than for unrestricted hens. Among the 4 sub-groups on the restricted feeding programme, little difference was observed in feed intake/kg eggs. Among the sub-groups on full-feeding, the lower the age at first molting, the lower was the feed intake. Haugh units of eggs laid by restricted hens were higher than for unrestricted hens. Forced molting increased both thickness of egg shell and Haugh unit of the eggs, though the difference in Haugh units before and after the second forced molting was not significant. After forced molting, restricted hens recovered egg production more rapidly than did unrestricted hens.

Descriptors: feed intake, hens, egg production, molting, hatching season, laying performance, molt, induction, nutrition, food restriction, age at first egg, sexual maturity, molt induction

Katrich NI (1982). The intensity of induced moult and its relationship with the physiological condition of hens before the application of stress. Trudy, Kubanskii Sel'skokhozyaistvennyi Institut No. 212(240): 47-51.

For hens which continued egg production after they had dropped 2-3 primary wing feathers (group 1), hens which did not start moulting and continued egg production (group 2), hens which were in an advanced stage of moult (3-5 wing primaries) and had stopped egg production (group 3), and hens which did not molt but stopped egg production (group 4), the rate of regrowth of wing primaries 50 days after molt induction was 69.6, 54.2, 70.0 and 58.9% resp. The differences of the 1st and 3rd groups from the 2nd and 4th were highly significant.

Descriptors: moult, egg production

Keshavarz, K. (1995). Impact of feed withdrawal and dietary calcium level on force-rested hens. The Journal of Applied Poultry Research 4(3): 254-264.

Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.

NAL Call Number: SF481.J68

Descriptors: hens, laying performance, food deprivation, rest, duration, experimental diets, calcium, nutrient content, egg production, egg mass, egg shell quality, specific gravity, bone ash, body weight, force resting, recovery diets

Khan AG; Lad BK (1996). Consequences of induced rest feeding programme (IRFP) on dwarf layer. Indian Journal of Animal Sciences 66(2): 177-183.

Dep. Poultry Sci., Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishva Vidyalaya, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh 482 004 India

NAL Call Number: 41.8 IN22

Response of dwarf layers to variable induced rest feeding programme (IRFP) was studied. Seven days fasting followed by 2,4 and 6 weeks of 20 g feed/bird/day constituted T1, T2 and T3 treatments. Data for 68 to 102 weeks of age was analysed along with that of the control. IRFP initiated shedding of primary feathers but the secondaries remained intact. T3 hens remained smallest in body size post-IRFP but T1 and T2 remained similar in size as that of the control. Control group hens laid more number of eggs than all treatment groups during IRFP periods. Post-IRFP to a fixed 28-weeks T1, T2 and T3 hens laid more eggs than the control, but the superiority was lost when post-IRFP to 102 weeks production was analysed. For 68 to 102 weeks of age, IRFP egg losses were compensated by higher peak and persistency in treatments as compared with the control. T3 hens laid heaviest egg. Feed consumption was associated linearly with the duration of IRFP irrespective of treatments. T3 group hens consumed less feed accounting 17.56% saving for production of 1 egg. In terms of economics, feed savings during IRFP equally contributed as the egg laid in the net financial gain which ranged from Rs -4.65 to + Rs 40.46 bird for different treatments.

Descriptors: economics, feed consumption, diet, egg production

Kharitonov MM (1973). Effect of an artificial moult on the productivity of laying hens and the hatchability of their eggs. [Vliyanie iskusstvennoi lin'ki kur-nesushek na ikh produktivnost' I inkubatsionnye kachestva yaits.] Volgogradskii Sel'skokhozyaistvennyi Institut 50: 68-71

Moulting was induced in 1850 birds by depriving them of light, water and food for 2 days, after which each of the 3 factors was restored gradually. Compared with control birds in which moulting was not induced, treated females on resuming lay produced eggs which were 1.6 g heavier and had shells 16.4% thicker. For treated and control females resp., hen-housed egg production was 64.2 and 58.5%, egg fertility 82.1 and 74.6%, hatchability of eggs set 78.3 and 75.5%, and chick weight at 30 days of age averaged 235 and 224 g.

Descriptors: moult, induction, laying performance

Khashem Y (1989). The effect of interrupted light. Ptitsevodstvo (No. 6): 30-32.

NAL Call Number: Z5074 P8R4

Data were obtained on the egg-type commercial cross Zarya-17 (63 hens plus 6 old and 6 young cocks per group). The experimental group was maintained under a light regime which corresponded to the photoperiod allowed to the controls during growth, and was 2-h light:4-h darkness:8h-light:10-h darkness during the egg laying period. The controls were allowed light decreasing from 231/2 h daily at the beginning of growth to 9 h at 17 wk of age, and then increasing to 14-h daily. Egg production in the 1st yr of lay averaged 261.2 and 260.8 in the 2 groups resp., the percentage of eggs suitable for incubation 80.8 and 79.9, and hatchability of eggs set 90.3 and 86.1%. At 74 wk of age, the moult was induced by withdrawal of food and water for 4 days. For eggs laid in the 2nd cycle, egg fertility was 95.3 and 90.7%, hatchability of fertile eggs 90.8 and 87.5%, and hatchability of eggs set 86.5 and 79.4%. Egg production in the 34 wk after the moult averaged 138.5 and 141.0 in the 2 groups.

Descriptors: light regime, egg production, egg fertility, egg hatchability

King DF; Trollope GA (1934). Force-molting of hens and all-night lighting as factors in egg production. Circular: Agricultural Experiment Station of the Alabama Polytechnic Institute No. 64: 1-7.

Auburn : Agricultural Experiment Station of the Alabama Polytechnic

NAL Call Number: 100 AL1S (2) no.64

Knowlton FL (1936). Force-molting of white leghorn hens. Station circular: Agricultural Experiment Station, Oregon State Agricultural College 119: 1-8.

NAL Call Number: 100 Or3 no.119

Koelkebeck KW; Parsons CM; Douglas MW; Leeper RW; Jin S; Wang X; Zhang Y; Fernandez S (2001). Early postmolt performance of laying hens fed a low-protein corn molt diet supplemented with spent hen meal. Poultry Science 80(3): 353-357.

Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 61801, USA. kkoelkeb@uiuc.edu

NAL Call Number: 47.8 AM33P

We used a total of 504 commercial Single Comb White Leghorn hens (69 and 65 wk of age) in each of two experiments, and hens were induced to molt by feed withdrawal only. Feed withdrawal lasted for 12 and 11 d, and hens lost 26 and 25%, body weight in Experiments 1 and 2, respectively. All hens were then weighed, and seven replicate groups of 12 hens each were assigned to molt diet treatments. In Experiment 1, diets consisted of a corn basal diet (7.9% CP) or corn basal diet supplemented with 7.5 or 10% spent hen meal (SHM) each from two different sources. In Experiment 2, the corn basal diet or this diet supplemented with 5 or 10% SHM alone or 5% SHM plus Met, Lys, and Trp was evaluated. A molt diet of 16% CP corn-soybean meal was used as a positive control in both experiments. Molt diets were fed for 15 d in both experiments, at which time all hens were fed a 16% CP layer diet. Performance was measured for 8 wk following the beginning of feeding the layer diet. Feeding the low-protein corn molt diet supplemented with 5 to 10% SHM improved early postmolt egg production performance and body weight gain compared with hens fed the corn basal diet alone. The 7.5 and 10% SHM diets yielded early postmolt performance that was not significantly different (P > 0.05) from that of hens fed the high-protein (16% CP) diet. Supplementing the 5% SHM diet with amino acids generally did not significantly improve performance. The present study thus indicates that improved early postmolt performance may be achieved by supplementation of a low-protein corn molt diet with 5 to 10% SHM.

Descriptors: Chickens--physiology--PH; Dietary Proteins--administration and dosage--AD ; Food Deprivation; Molting; Reproduction ; Animal Feed

Koelkebeck KW; Parsons CM; Leeper RW; Moshtaghian J (1991). Effect of protein and methionine levels in molt diets on postmolt performance in laying hens. Poultry Science 70(10): 2063-2073.

Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, 324 Mumford Hall, 1301 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.

NAL Call Number: 47.8 AM33P

In 3 experiments, laying hens 70, 65 and 96 weeks old were induced to moult by fasting (feed only) until 26 to 28% body weight loss occurred. Moult diets containing 16, 13 or 10% crude protein (CP) without or with 0.15% methionine were then fed until egg production reached about 10%, at which time all hens received a 16% CP layer diet for 30 weeks in experiments 1 and 2 and for 4 weeks in experiment 3. In experiment 1 (summer), hens regained body weight more rapidly, returned to production faster, and had larger egg weights (weeks 1 to 4) when fed the 16 or 13%-CP molt diets than when fed the 10%-CP moult diet. Long-term egg production, egg yield (grams of egg per hen per day) (weeks 1 to 30), and feed efficiency (weeks 1 to 8) were greater for hens fed the 16 or 13%-CP molt diets compared with those fed the 10%-CP molt diet. Methionine supplementation had no effect on postmoult performance. In experiment 2 (winter), the only significant treatment effect was that methionine supplementation increased egg weight (weeks 1 to 30). Moult diet had no consistent effect on egg specific gravity during the last 4 weeks of the postmolt production period in experiments 1 or 2. The effects of the dietary treatments on early postmoult performance in experiment 3 (early autumn) were similar to those observed in experiment 1. Results indicate that protein content, but not methionine supplementation, in moult diets influenced postmoult performance of hens during the summer and early autumn experiments, but not in the winter experiments.

Descriptors: Egg production, protein intake, moulting, methionine, supplements

Koelkebeck KW; Parsons CM; Leeper RW; Jin S; Douglas MW (1999). Early postmolt performance of laying hens fed a low-protein corn molt diet supplemented with corn gluten meal, feather meal, methionine, and lysine. Poultry Science 78(8): 1132-1137.

Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana 61801, USA. kkoelkeb@uiuc.edu

NAL Call Number: 47.8 AM33P

Commercial White Leghorn hens (65, 63, or 70 wk of age in Experiments 1, 2, and 3, respectively) were induced molted by feed withdrawal until approximately 28% body weight was lost. All hens were then weighed, and seven replicate groups of 12 hens each were fed molt diets. In Experiment 1, three diets consisted of a corn basal diet (7.9% CP) or this diet supplemented with corn gluten meal (CGM) and Lys or feather meal (FM), Met, and Lys. In Experiments 2 and 3, varying levels of FM and FM with Met and Lys were evaluated. A 16% CP corn-soybean meal diet was used as a positive control in all experiments. The molt diets were fed for 17, 15, and 17 d in Experiments 1, 2, and 3, respectively, and production performance was measured for 8 wk from the beginning of feeding the layer diet. In all experiments, hens fed the 16% CP corn-soybean meal molt diet returned to egg production and regained body weight at a faster rate than did hens fed any of the other diets. In Experiment 1, early egg production of hens fed the corn basal diet supplemented with CGM and Lys or supplementation with FM, Met, and Lys was greater (P < 0.05) than that of hens fed the basal diet alone. In Experiment 2, very early egg production (Week 1) and body weight gain were lower (P < 0.05) for hens fed the corn basal diet than for hens fed the basal supplemented with FM, Met, and Lys. The addition of 5.75 or 8.5% FM or 5.75% FM plus Met and Lys generally increased (P < 0.05) early egg production and postmolt body weight gain compared to the corn basal diet in Experiment 3. The present study thus indicated that improved early postmolt performance may be achieved by supplementation of a low-protein corn molt diet with various combinations of CGM, FM, Met, and Lys.

Descriptors: Chickens--physiology--PH; Dietary Proteins; Molting; Reproduction ; Animal Feed; Corn; Feathers; Lysine--administration and dosage--AD; Methionine--administration and dosage--AD; Weight Gain

Koelkebeck KW (1991). Molting programs for layers: effect of dietary protein and methionine and length of fast on post-molt performance. Poultry Adviser 24(12 ): 49-51.

University of Illinois, USA.

NAL Call Number: SF481 P622

In experiments 1 and 2 during summer and winter, White Leghorn chickens 65 and 70 weeks old were fed on maize/soyabean diets containing 10, 13 or 16% protein with 0 or 15% methionine until production reached 10%. A 16% protein layer diet was then fed for 30 weeks. In experiment 3, Leghorn chickens, 65 weeks old were fed on maize/soyabean diets containing 10 or 16% protein or 10% protein plus 0.25% lysine, 0.16% arginine, 0.10% threonine and 0.15% methionine or starved for 4 days and then fed on a 16% protein diet. Controls were not moulted. All diets were fed until 14% production was reached and then 16% protein diets were fed for 30 weeks. Body weight gain and egg production data are given in a table. In the summer experiment post-moult egg production in weeks 1 to 10 was 60.2, 64.9 and 65.1 with diets containing 10, 13 and 16% protein, respectively. In weeks 1 to 20 and 1 to 30 egg production was significantly higher in hens fed on the 16% protein diet compared with hens on the 10% protein diet. Feed intake was higher and body weight gain to 3 weeks lower for hens fed on the 10% protein diet compared with the hens on the 13 and 16% protein diets (100.4, 94.5 and 93.4 g/hen daily and 401, 431 and 441 g/hen, respectively). In the winter experiment, feed intake, body weight gain, egg production and egg weight were not different between hens fed on the different protein moult diets. In experiment 3, overall egg production was lowest in the non-molted controls compared with hens fed 16% protein diets at week 30 (65.7 vs. 74.6). Overall egg weights were higher for the non-moulted controls than for hens fed 10% protein diets, 64.2 vs.62.3 g/egg. Egg specific gravity at week 30 was lowest in the non-moult hens, 1.0736, and highest in hens fed on the 10% protein diet with amino acids, 1.0782 g/cm3. Egg shell quality was not affected by the short-term 4-day starvation. It was concluded that early and post-moult performance may be increased by protein moult diets containing 16 and 13% protein compared with 10% protein diets and that long-term egg production was not adversely affected by 4-day starvation periods used to induce moult. Methionine supplementation of moult diets had no benefit on post-moult egg production.

Descriptors: feed intake, liveweight gain, egg production, egg weight, protein intake, hens, egg quality, moulting, starvation, methionine, intake, soyabeans

Koelkebeck KW; Parsons CM (1990). Nutritional aspects of molting programs. Poultry Adviser 23(2): 43-44.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1301 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.

NAL Call Number: SF481 P622

Experiments in summer and winter, each with 500 White Leghorn hens induced to moult by feed restriction, indicated that early post-moulting layer performance could be enhanced by increasing protein in the diet from 10 to 13 or 16%. However, these effects may be influenced by environmental temperature, since they were observed in the summer but not in the winter study. Long-term post-moulting performance was not substantially affected by using diets ranging in protein content from 10 to 16%, with or without added methionine.

Descriptors: moulting, restricted feeding, hens, protein intake

Kummerfeld N; Luders H (1978). Effect of dark periods on the food and water intake of adult chickens. [Futterverzehr und Wasserkonsum von Huhnern bei Dunkelheit]. Deutsche Tierarztliche Wochenschrift 85(6): 212-216.

Tierarztliche Hochschule, Buntweg 17, D-3000 Hannover, German Federal Republic

NAL Call Number: 41.8 D482

The influence of 12 hour light - dark cycles and 84 hours continuous darkness on the food and water intake were examined in 15 caged hens and 15 caged cocks. Once the light phase was over the chickens stopped their food and water intake during the first hour of the dark phase. Only in the cocks was an irregular, slight food and water intake ("nibbling") observed in the later period of darkness. Food and water intake of the cocks was maintained in the dark period corresponding to their physiological means in the intermittent 12 hour light period when the dark time had suddenly been prolonged to 84 hours. Hens subjected to 84 hours of darkness showed a reduction of food and water intake by 20% and a change in the food rhythm. No signs of molting were observed in the period of prolonged darkness.

Descriptors: animal behavior, lighting, feeding behavior, drinking, hens, feed intake, water intake

Lange K (1977). Forced moult in different strains of layers. [Die Zwangsmauser bei verschiedenen Legehennenherkunften]. Deutsche Geflugelwirtschaft und Schweineproduktion 29(41): 1096-1099.

Hessische Landesanstalt fur Leistungsprufungen in der Tierzucht, Neu-Ulrichstein, German Federal Republic

NAL Call Number: SF481 D48

At 506 days of age, a forced moult was induced in 6 groups of white-egg and 3 groups of brown-egg layers (140 females /group). The white-egg strains involved were Shaver Starcross 288, Babcock B 305, Hisex White and HNL, and the brown-egg strains were Warren SSL and Babcock B 380. Food and light were withheld for 3 days, and were reintroduced gradually. Data on egg production in the 2nd laying period are tabulated. In the white-egg layers, egg production decreased to less than or equal to 1% within 6 days of beginning treatment v 9 days in the brown-egg groups. Egg production remained at less than or equal to 1% for 12 and 9 days resp. The time taken to regain 50% production was significantly shorter in the Hisex Whites and Babcock B 305s (43 and 45 days resp.) than in all other groups (54-60 days). In the HNLs, production after moulting averaged 83% of that in the pre-moult period v 72-76% for the other white-egg groups. Egg production averaged 158 eggs in the white-egg groups v 116 in the brown-egg groups, and hen-day egg production 56.6 v 41.4%. The unsatisfactory performance of the brown-egg layers was ascribed to the laying pause being too short. Overall, av. egg weight, the proportion graded 1-3, and egg-shell strength were improved over values in the pre-moult period.

Descriptors: moult, induction, egg production, strain differences

Lee K; Holiday OR; Petty CE (1980). Effects of forced molt and rest on egg production, feed efficiency, and mortality of Single Comb White Leghorn hens. Poultry Science 59(7): 1566.

Dep. Agriculture,