The Effects of Level and Source of Ammonium Sulphate on Feed Intake, Egg Production, and Egg Quality in White Leghorn Pullets and Force Molted Hens

Abstract

The effects of supplementing a laying hen diet with graded levels of ammonium sulphate (AS) (0, 10, 20, and 30 g AS/kg) were investigated in two experiments using individually caged Single Comb White Leghorn hens from two strains. In the first experiment, pullets were fed diets containing technical grade AS between 226 and 500 days of age while in the second, force molted hens were fed, between 590 and 677 days of age, the same levels of AS but from four sources: the technical, a feed, and two fertilizer preparations. With the pullets, there was no (P>.05) compensatory increase in the intake of the supplemented diets due to the dilution effect of AS, but with the force molted hens compensation occurred. Consequently, AS level had a linear effect (P<.01) on the intake of basal diet by the pullets but no effect (P>.05) on basal intake by the force molted hens. There was a significant linear relationship between AS level and limestone grit intake for the pullets. Ammonium sulphate level had no effect on kg feed/dozen eggs, egg production and yield, mortality, egg and shell weight, percent shell, specific gravity, blood spots, and 500- or 677-day body weight of the pullets and force molted hens, respectively. Level of AS had a significant effect on shell weight per unit surface area, Haugh units, and kg feed/kg egg in the second experiment. Ammonium sulphate source had no influence on 677-day body weight, feed intake, productive performance, mortality, and egg and shell quality. These results indicate that if the cost of AS is relatively low, it might be used as a practical means of restricting the voluntary feed intake of young hens without affecting productivity, liveability, and egg and shell quality.