Effect of feed form, formulation, and restriction on the performance of laying hens

Abstract

A laying trial was performed with 1440 DeKalb® hens caged at 18 wk of age to test the effect of feed form (expanded pellets or mash) and type of formulation (for crude protein [CP] or for specific amino acids[AA]), and five levels of feed restriction applied at either 24 wk or 32 wk of age. Formulation for CP rather than AA content resulted in 4.4% greater egg production and 7.1% greater production of egg mass in hens fed mash and 4.0% better feed efficiency in hens fed both mash and pellets. Hens fed mash had 2.3% higher feed consumption, suggesting that the hens may prefer mash. Feed restriction reduced body weight and hen–day egg production proportionate to the restriction level, but egg weight was reduced only slightly. These data suggest that care should be exercised in formulating for AA content rather than for CP, especially if feed intake is reduced. This strain of hens was very successful at regulating its feed intake for maximum production, and even a slight feed restriction produced a negative effect on production. Key words: Laying hens, feed restriction, feed form, feed formulation, protein level