Evaluation of molt induction using cassava meal varying the length of feeding period in older (90 week) laying hens.

Physiological changes during molt and postmolt egg production variables were compared among hens induced to molt by using cassava meal varying the length of the feeding period. Hens were randomly assigned to 3 treatments of 72 birds each: 1) molted by full feeding with cassava meal for 4 wk (CAS4); 2) molted by full feeding with cassava meal for 5 wk (CAS5); and 3) molted by full feeding with cassava meal for 6 wk (CAS6). All groups were fed a pullet developer diet for 2 wk following treatment.

Induced molt using cassava meal. 2. Effects on eggshell quality, ultrastructure, and pore density in late-phase laying hens.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of a non-fasting induced molt using cassava meal on the eggshell quality, ultrastructure, and porosity in late-phase (74 wk old) H&N Brown laying hens. Hens were randomly assigned to 3 treatments of 90 birds each: 1) Controls with no induced molt (CONT); 2) molted by full feeding with cassava meal for 3 wk (FP3); and 3) molted by full feeding with cassava meal for 4 wk (FP4). Following the treatments, groups 2 and 3 were fed a pullet developer diet for 3 weeks.

Fiber characteristics of pork muscle exhibiting different levels of drip loss.

The present study aimed to investigate the fiber characteristics of pork muscle exhibiting different levels of drip loss during storage. The samples were taken from Longissimus dorsi muscle to evaluate drip loss (n = 100). Fifteen muscles per group (low and high drip loss) were selected to evaluate the histological characteristics at 0 and 72 h of storage time.

Effects of an induced molt using cassava meal on body weight loss, blood physiology, ovarian regression, and postmolt egg production in late-phase laying hens.

This study was conducted to determine the effect of an induced molt using cassava meal on body weight, blood physiology, ovary, and postmolt performance in late-phase (74 wk old) H&N Brown laying hens. Hens were randomly assigned to 3 treatments of 90 birds each: 1) Controls withno induced molt (CONT); 2) molted by full feeding with cassava meal for 3 wk (FP3); and 3) molted by full feeding with cassava meal for 4 wk (FP4). Groups 2 and 3 were fed a pullet developer diet for 3 wk following treatment.

The effects of a short-term molt method using cassava meal, broken rice, or corn on ovarian regression, bone integrity, and postmolt egg production and quality in older (95 week) laying hens.

This study was conducted to determine the ability of different molt diets to induce molt in 95-wk-old hens. The hens were randomly assigned to 4 treatments of 60 birds each: 1) molted by full feeding with broken rice (BROK), 2) corn (CRN), 3) cassava (CASS), or 4) nonmolted control (CONT) for 14 d. At 15 d, all hens were fed a layer diet (17% CP), and production performance was measured for 20 wk.

Influence of red light on reproductive performance, eggshell ultrastructure, and eye morphology in Thai-native hens.

In total, 120 Thai-native pullets (Gallus domesticus) aged 18 wk were housed in floor pens, located in a conventional open-sided shed under natural daylight (12L:12D) and randomly divided into 3 groups; Groups 1 (DF) and 2 (DR) were reared under natural daylight and supplemented with fluorescent or red light, respectively, whereas group 3 (R) was maintained in light-controlled pens and exposed only to red light. The red light was produced by light-emitting diodes. All treatments were provided with 16 h of light per day (16L:8D) during a 26-wk egg-laying period, and there were 4 replicate pens of 10 hens for each treatment.

Effects of eggshell calcium on productive performance, plasma calcium, bone mineralization, and gonadal characteristics in laying hens.

A study was conducted with Rhode Island Red females to determine the effects of replacing limestone in the diet with ground, sterilized eggshell. Productive performance, egg quality, plasma Ca, bone characteristics, and the morphology of the ovary and oviduct were evaluated. One hundred forty-four 25-wk-old hens were housed in floor pens, located in a conventional open-sided layer shed.