Effect of afternoon feeding of particulate limestone on layers' performance, egg and bone quality

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of split feeding of calcium on the laying performance of hens in the first production cycle, and to study the egg and bone quality of endof-lay hens. A total of 7700 Hendrix ISA Dekalb 15-week-old white pullets were divided into two groups containing an equal number of birds (3850 in each). The control group was conventionally fed with 3.9% calcium in the pellets, with a 2:1 ratio of coarse to fine limestone particles, and with a 0900, 1100, 1400, and 1700 feeding regime. The feed of the test group contained 1.6% calcium. The test group received their remaining calcium as particulate limestone at 1400 and 1700 feeding hours. Egg quality from 64, 68 and 72-week-old hens and bone quality at the end of production were measured. A significant increase in egg weight was observed in the test group. Treatment had no effect on the eggshell quality traits such as eggshell thickness, eggshell weight, shell percent and eggshell breaking strength, and also no effect on bone quality parameters such as length, breadth, weight, and ash content. This study hints at the potential of implication of split feeding, however, it is essential to more conclusively determine a true assessment of laying performance.