In the laying hen, very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) particles contain large amounts of apolipoprotein (apo)-VLDL-II in addition to apoB. These triglyceride-rich lipoproteins are transported from the liver primarily to growing oocytes. Since no appreciable hydrolysis of triglyceride occurs during this transport, we have investigated the possibility that apoVLDL-II functions as an inhibitor of...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of cholestyramine and lovastatin, lipid-Iowering agents, upon egg quality, reproductive performance, plasma lipids and egg yolk cholesterol levels of Shaver laying hens. Twenty-sixweeks-old hens were fed basal diet without animal products containing 0.2% cholestyramine (COLl), 0.3% cholestyramine (COL2) or 0.005% lovastatin (LOV) for 6 weeks....

The presence of receptor for arginine vasotocin (AVT) in the vagina of the oviduct of the hen was demonstrated by the use of radioligand binding assays on membrane fractions of the tissue. The binding to [125I]AVT was highly competitive with unlabeled AVT. Scatchard analysis revealed that the binding sites are of a single class. The equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) was 0.48+/-0.05 nM (x+/...

Revision [final] Project co-funded by the European Commission within the Sixth Framework Programme (2002-2006) Dissemination Level PU Public PP Restricted to other programme participants (including the Commission Services) x RE Restricted to a group specified by the consortium (including the Commission Services) CO Confidential, only for members of the consortium (including the Commission Servi...

Feather pecking and high mortality levels are significant welfare problems in non-cage housing systems for laying hens. The aim of this study was to identify husbandry-related risk factors for feather damage, mortality, and egg laying performance in laying hens housed in the multi-tier non-cage housing systems known as aviaries. Factors tested included type of system flooring, degree of red mit...

Egg production rate is a positive economical factor in commercial laying hens. In egg industry, the only source of income is the number and weight of eggs laid in a laying cycle, therefore, researchers have been trying to find approaches to increase the egg number in each laying cycle. In general, a hen lays eggs in clutches with a pause of one or a few days in between the clutches (pause days)...

the aim of the present study was to investigate the possibility of improving egg lipids and fatty acids composition of laying hens through inclusion of olive cake plus barley malt rootlets in the diets. seventy, 54-week-old, lohman laying hens were fed for a 12 weeks laying period on 3 iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous diets contained 0 (control), 28.5 g olive cake (oc) + 25.5 g barley malt rootl...

There has been much confusion over the significance of spirochaetes found in the caeca of laying hens and the impact they may have on egg production. In recent years, the situation has been made clearer and the presence of such species as Brachyspira pilosicoli have been shown to cause a mild, chronic disease in both layers and breeders and to reduce egg production by reportedly 5%. In the Unit...

This paper reviews the possibilities of adapting laying hens to cages by means of genetic selection. By selecting separately for rate of lay and longevity using a kin selection method, a strain of laying hen has been developed that shows much less feather pecking and cannibalism than a control strain, and with no decrease in productivity. This experimental strain enjoys a higher level of welfar...

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of red ginseng by-product (RGB) on the laying performance, blood biochemistry, and microbial population in laying hens. A total of 120 Hy-Line Brown laying hens (75 weeks old) were randomly allotted to 1 of 3 dietary treatments with 4 replicates per treatment. A commercial-type basal diet was prepared, and 2 additio...