PSA Physiology: Reproduction and Endocrinology
نویسنده
چکیده
Molting is a process commonly utilized by commercial laying facilities to extend and improve the productivity of a flock. This practice usually involves the deprivation of feed for a period of several days in order to rejuvenate the reproductive system. Due to food safety and comsumer awareness factors, alternatives to this approach are being investigated. Feeding alfalfa as an insoluble fiber source with the purpose of inducing molt is one such alternative. In this study, 118 hens were fed one of four diets: Layer Ration, Alfalfa Meal, Alfalfa Pellets, and Feed Deprivation. Hen weights were monitored 5 times during the trial to assess weight loss throughout the molting phase. During the trial, 8 hens per treatment were assessed for stress level using a tonic immobility technique. At the end of the trial, 58 hens from respective diet groups were sacrificed, and ovary weights were obtained to monitor regression of the reproductive system after a completed molting cycle. The diets correlated to the final hen weight with a p value ≤ 0.05 where feed deprivation birds lost 22.55%, alfalfa meal birds lost 16.85%, alfalfa pellet birds lost 13.03%, while birds kept on layer ration gained 2.31%. Ovary weights correlated to diet with a p value ≤ 0.05 where feed deprivation birds had a mean ovary weight of 6.37g, alfalfa meal birds had 5.08g, alfalfa pellet birds had 5.73g, and layer ration birds had 35.72g. No significant differences in stress response were noted in birds from these studies. Based on layer hen response, it appears that alfalfa can induce molt with the same efficiency as feed deprivation.
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