The effect of early nutrient supply on growth, development and body composition of pullets

Abstract

From the nutritionist’s point of view it seems that egg production cannot be increased during the laying period alone by satisfying exclusively the nutrient needs of the laying hen during the actual production period. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of the different nutrient supply in the early stages of pullet rearing and will this early nutrition influence the development of certain organs or organ systems that are involved in determining the success of the resulting egg production cycle. An experiment was conducted with two genotypes (Hy-Line variety White 98 and Hy-Line variety Brown) at the University of Kaposvár. The experiment was designed in a 2x2 factorial with 7 replicates of floor pens with 175 pullets in each. One group received a special pre-starter feed while the other group was fed a regular commercial starter feed from day-old to 4 weeks of age. The results showed that layer genotypes responded differently to the test feeding regimens. Furthermore, body weight differed between the test and control feed at 4 weeks of age (body weight: 288 gram vs. 243 gram, difference of 15.6%) and 18 weeks (body weight: 1452 gram vs. 1411 gram, difference of 2.9%) also. Brown type pullets diverted nutrients to develop their skeleton system (keel bone length 116 mm vs. 107 mm and weight of the tibia 11.46 gram vs. 10.2 gram), the liver and their reproductive organs. Conversely, white leghorns diverted their nutrient intake mainly towards the development of their reproductive tract (P<0.05).