Response of broiler breeder hens to forced molting by hormonal and dietary manipulations

• Published in: Poultry science Vol. 73; no. 2; pp. 245 - 258
• Main Authors: Attia, Y.A, Burke, W.H, Yamani, K.A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.02.1994
• Subjects: ACIDE GRAS; ACIDOS GRASOS; ALIMENTACION RACIONADA; ALIMENTATION RATIONNEE; ANATOMIA ANIMAL; ANATOMIE ANIMALE; Animals; CASCARA DE HUEVO; Chickens - physiology; COQUILLE D'OEUF; DENSIDAD; DENSITE; ECLOSABILIDAD DEL HUEVO; ECLOSABILITE; EFFICACITE ALIMENTAIRE; EFICIENCIA DE CONVERSION DEL PIENSO; Feathers - drug effects; Feathers - physiology; Female; FEMELLE; Fertility - drug effects; Food Deprivation - physiology; HEMBRA; HORMONAS DE LA MUDA; HORMONE DE MUE; INANICION; INANITION; INGESTION DE PIENSOS; Leuprolide - pharmacology; MUDA; MUE; Oviposition - drug effects; PERFORMANCE DE PONTE; PESO; PLASMA SANGUIN; PLASMA SANGUINEO; POIDS; POLLO; POLLO DE ENGORDE; POULET; POULET DE CHAIR; PRISE ALIMENTAIRE (ANIMAUX); REGIME LUMINEUX; REGIMENES DE LUZ; RENDIMIENTO EN LA POSTURA
• DOI: 10.3382/ps.0730245
• ISSN: 0032-5791

Experiments were conducted to compare dietary and hormonal techniques for molting broiler breeder hens. In the first experiment, production dropped to 5% 3 wk after hens were restricted to an intake of one half of their calculated energy requirement (FR). Egg production levels of hens given a single i.m. injection of the Lupron Depot(R) formulation of leuprolide acetate (LA) in a dose intended to provide 10 microgram/kg BW per d for 30 d dropped to 9.5% whereas production dropped to 33% in hens receiving 5 microgram and was unchanged by 2.5 microgram. Postmolting fertility and hatchability of eggs from the FR and the 10-microgram LA groups were not different. In the second experiment, postinjection egg production, oviduct weight, and uterus weight were depressed, in a dose-related manner, when hens received 0, 10, or 22 microgram LA/kg per d. In a third experiment, egg production dropped to zero within 2 wk when hens were deprived of feed (FD) or deprived of feed and light (FD + LR), whereas it reached zero in 4 wk in hens fed only 30 g of wheat shorts per d (FR). Lupron Depot(R) at a dose intended to deliver 30 microgram/kg BW per d, reduced egg production to 9.5% by the 3rd wk. Twenty-eight weeks postmolting, egg production ranged from 84 to 98 eggs per hen in the molted groups and 56 eggs per hen in the unmolted controls. Fertility ranged from 82.1% in the FD + LR groups to 69.8% in the unmolted controls, whereas chick production averaged 36, 50, 59, 60, and 68 chicks per hen in the unmolted controls and in hens molted by LA, FR, FD, or FD + LR, respectively