The effects of methionine deficiency and egg production on feather loss in caged layers.
Feather loss was scored on the neck and crop area of 402 individually-caged hens, 61 weeks old and receiving either methionine-deficient or adequate diets. Both feather loss and egg production were greater for the hens receiving adequate diets. Within treatments there was a close relationship between egg output and feather loss. The findings are consistent with feather loss being caused by abrasion against the cage floor or walls during pre-laying behaviour.
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002645:Chickens / Q000502:physiology; D004032:Diet; D005241:Feathers; D005260:Female; D006799:Housing, Animal; D008715:Methionine / Q000172:deficiency*; D010058:Oviposition; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000209:etiology*
D008715:Methionine