The effects of rapeseed meal fed during the growing and/or laying periods on mortality and egg production in chickens.

White Leghorn pullets of two strains were fed soybean or rapeseed meal during either or both the growing period and laying period in two separate experiments. Rapeseed meal may be fed to growing pullets at levels up to 17% of the diet without adversely affecting the subsequent rate of egg production or egg size. Birds fed laying diets containing 19% of rapeseed meal produced a greater egg mass per hen-day and gained more weight during the laying period when the growing diet contained rapeseed meal instead of soybean meal.

Reticulocytosis in response to dietary antioxidants.

Alpha-tocopheryl acetate, 1, 2, dihydro-6-ethoxy-2, 2, 4-trimethylquinoline, and butylated hydroxytoluene increased the number of circulating reticulocytes when added to the diet of chickens. Hematocrit values were not reduced and erythrocyte life-spans were not shortened by the antioxidants. The reticulocytosis is attributed to delayed loss of reticular material from the maturing erythrocytes.