Productive performance and liver lesions in two strains of laying hens receiving two rapeseed meals.
A comparative study was conducted to determine the effect of two varieties of rapeseed meal at 10 and 20% levels in the diet on the productive performance, organ weights and liver lesions of two commercial strains of laying hens. The double-low (Brassica napus 1788) rapeseed meal appeared to be superior to Span meal (Brassica campestris) at the 10% level in maintaining egg production, feed efficiency, thyroid weight and body weight gain. However at the 20% level the productive performance was decreased in all the hens except the thyroid weights in the double-low group. Mortality caused by haemorrhagic liver syndrome was significantly higher among birds fed rapeseed meals than in the controls and was higher in the Span-fed groups than in those receiving the double-low variety. The two strains of birds showed no difference in mortality due to haemorrhagic liver syndrome. It was suggested that the lower level of glucosinolates in the double-low variety was responsible for the superiority of this meal over the Span meal.
D000821:Animal Feed / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000818:Animals; D001937:Brassica; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; D002645:Chickens / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D010058:Oviposition / Q000187:drug effects*