A feather-sexed strain of laying hens was more responsive to dietary supplements of choline and methionine than a vent-sexed strain.
1992
Tsiagbe V.K. | Harper A.E. | Sunde M.L.
A response surface design was used to study Cho and Met interactions with corn and soybean diets, using two strains of hens. The strains were a feather-sexed line (FS strain), and a vent-sexed line (SS strain). The diets contained 3% meat and bone meal and, on chemical analysis, 15.1% crude protein, 0.29% Met, 0.225% Cys, and 1,041 ppm of Cho. Nine diets were fed from 20 to 68 wk of age, using added Met levels ranging from 0 to 500 ppm and added Cho levels ranging from 0 to 1,500 ppm, to fix the design points. The FS strain consumed significantly more feed per day (117 versus 108 g) than the SS strain, but there were no significant differences for the 24 to 68 wk period in egg production, egg weight, or feed per dozen eggs. Three and five combinations of Met and Cho were significant in improving egg production (P < 0.05) out of the eight combinations for the SS and FS strains, respectively. The best egg production for the FS strain for the period 24 to 68 wk was observed at 250 ppm Met and 1,500 ppm Cho, or 427 ppm Met and 220 ppm added Cho. The SS strain showed no significant (P > 0.05) dietary responses in egg production between 250 ppm Met and no Cho, or 427 ppm Met and either 220 or 1,280 ppm Cho. The SS strain showed no significant (P > 0.05) dietary response in egg weight to either Cho or Met. The combination of 427 and 220 ppm of Met and Cho, respectively, with the FS strain resulted in the largest egg weight. However, this was only significantly different (P < 0.05) from addition of a combination of 73 ppm of Met and 220 ppm Cho. These results indicate strain differences in responses of laying hens to Met and Cho supplementation, and also support the concept that Met and Cho can spare the requirements of each other.
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