Limited Access to Feed During Egg Formation and the Shell Quality of Eggs Laid in the Afternoon

Abstract

The effect of limiting hens access to feed during formation of eggs laid in the afternoon on the shell quality of these eggs was examined using 225 SCWL laying hens, 50 weeks of age. The hens were housed in individual cages in an enclosed, fan-ventilated room, with lights on from 0500 to 2100 hr. Access to feed by 105 hens was progressively limited over a period of five days until feeders were covered from 0800 to 1600 hr daily. The remaining 120 hens were fed ad libitum as controls. All hens were fed a 16.0% protein laying ration containing 3.25% calcium and .53% total phosphorus. Time of lay (±15 min), egg weight, and shell quality data were collected for 12 consecutive days, beginning one week after full feed limitation.Egg specific gravity, shell thickness, and shell weight (mg) per square centimeter egg surface area were significantly greater for eggs from both feeding systems laid after 1300 hr than for eggs laid in the morning. Mean shell weight was significantly greater for eggs laid after 1300 hr than for eggs laid between 0901 and 1300 hr. Eggs laid in the early morning were the heaviest and, although mean egg weight, and hence egg surface area, progressively decreased throughout the day, the increased shell weight of eggs laid after 1300 hr was primarily responsible for the significant improvement in shell quality in eggs laid in the afternoon.