Influences of supplemental dietary poultry fat and F-strain Mycoplasma gallisepticum infection on the early performance of commercial egg laying hens.

F-strain Mycoplasma gallisepticum (FMG) may alter reproductive performance in layers through its effects on lipid metabolism. Therefore, the influences of 1.5% supplemental dietary poultry fat (PF) and FMG infection on the early performance of commercial egg-laying hens were determined. Birds were either sham- or FMG-inoculated at 12 wk, and experimental diets were initiated at 20 wk of age. Body weight at 12, 20, and 24 wk, total daily egg mass, feed consumption and feed conversion at 20 and 24 wk, weekly egg weight between 19 and 26 wk, weekly egg production (EP) between 18 and 26 wk, and weekly mortality between 12 and 26 wk of age were determined. Inoculation with FMG reduced EP at 18 and 19 wk of age. Between 20 and 26 wk, FMG reduced EP in birds fed control diets, conversely, PF eliminated differences in EP between sham- and FMG-inoculated birds. Furthermore, at wk 20 and 24, birds consumed less feed when fed PF-supplemented diets than when fed control diets if they were sham-inoculated, but the difference in feed consumption between diets was ameliorated if birds were previously inoculated with FMG. These data demonstrate that the effects of a 12-wk inoculation of FMG on EP and feed consumption through 26 wk of age in commercial egg-laying chickens can be modified by 1.5% supplemental dietary P F. More specifically, PF may alleviate reductions in early EP due to FMG.