Effect of beak-trimming age and high fiber grower diets on layer performance.
The performance of three commercial strains of White Leghorn layers was compared following beak trimming (BT) at 6 or 12 wk of age when fed diets containing 4.45 and 6.30% fiber between 6 and 12 or 12 and 18 wk of age, respectively. Body weights were lower at 12 wk in the 6-wk BT pullets, but were heavier at 18 wk when compared with the 12 wk BT pullets. Eighteen-week body weights were unaffected by feeding regimens. Six week BT resulted in higher hen-day and hen housed egg production, total egg mass, feed consumption, and total egg income. Profitability was superior for the 6-wk BT treatment (P = .072). Feeding the high fiber diets from 6 to 12 or 12 to 18 wk of age resulted in no differences in any of the adult performance traits measured compared with the control diet.
Bell
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University of California, Riverside 92521.
Kuney
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D000818:Animals; D001502:Beak / Q000601:surgery*; D001835:Body Weight; D002645:Chickens / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology* / Q000601:surgery; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004435:Eating; D004531:Eggs / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D010058:Oviposition