Abstract
Much research has studied the use of a low salt diet to force rest laying hens, but little focuses on the accidental omission of salt from a commercial laying hen diet. In this study sixty hens were fed a low salt diet (0.02% sodium) to investigate the effects on ovarian activity. Hens were necropsied on predetermined days and the ovaries carefully examined. Follicular development was unaffected for at least five days from initiation of the low salt diet. The follicles then underwent regression, beginning with the largest follicle and continuing to progressively smaller follicles. Serum sodium levels were significantly lower and potassium higher for hens receiving the low salt diet for eleven days compared to hens receiving a control diet. Egg production, feed consumption, and egg weight decreased in groups receiving the low salt diet for six or more days. The longer the hens received the low salt diet, the greater the decrease for these parameters. The percentage of hens that molted was significantly higher in the low salt groups than in the control group; the longer hens received this diet the more significant the molting they experienced.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.