Iron is often found to be of excessive concentrations in laying hens' diets, which may cause antagonistic interactions with other minerals. This study was conducted to investigate how to supplement Zn and Mn in the diets without Fe supplementation. In experiment 1, 420 18-week Lohmann Brown layers were fed a basal diet or a basal diet supplemented with 30-0, 65-30 and 100-60 mg/kg of Zn and Mn, respectively. In experiment 2, 360 40-week Lohmann Brown layers were fed a basal diet or a basal diet supplemented with 15-0, 35-0 and 55-15 mg/kg of Mn and Zn, respectively. Minerals were supplemented in the form of sulfate. Egg production was improved by supplementing 30 mg/kg Zn or 65 mg/kg Zn in combination with 30 mg/kg Mn in experiment one. In experiment two, a significant reduction of egg performance occurred with 35 mg/kg Mn supplementation. Mn and/or Zn supplementation increased eggshell thickness in experiment one, and decreased yolk cholesterol in both experiments. Mn and/or Zn supplementation increased Zn and Mn excretion in both experiments. Serum growth hormone (GH), thyroxine (T(4) ), and insulin levels, or alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity were not affected by treatments; serum estrogen (E(2) ) and triiodothyronine (T(3) ) were different but there was no consistency by dietary treatments. This study demonstrates that 30 mg/kg supplemental Zn is necessary to obtain maximal egg production, and there seems to be no need to supply Mn in this type of diet.

This study investigated whether supplemental Cu, Fe, Zn, and Mn are needed in a practical diet for pullets. Four hundred and twenty females of an egg-laying strain (1-d-old, Lohmann Brown Layer) were randomly distributed into 4 groups, consisting of 7 replicates of 15 birds each. During the 18-week experimental period, chicks were given three basal diets in sequence, each with single or multiple Mn, Zn and Cu supplementation to improve the mineral balance gradually. In the Control, no Mn, Zn, and Cu were added; in the single Mn supplemented group (sMn) Mn was added to 120, 60, and 60 mg/kg for 1-6, 7-12, and 13-18 weeks of age, respectively; in the multiple Mn and Zn supplemented group (mMnZn), Mn was added to 180, 90, and 90 mg/kg and Zn was added to 120, 105, and 105 mg/kg for 1-6, 7-12, and 13-18 weeks of age, respectively; in the multiple Mn, Zn, Cu supplemented group (mMnZnCu), Mn, Zn, and Cu were added to the same multiple of basal Fe concentration relative to NRC (1994) recommendations.Energy and protein metabolizability were determined by subtracting energy/protein intake by energy/protein excretion (from both feces and urine) and dividing by energy/protein intake. There were no statistically significant differences between groups in terms of feed intake, final body weight or tibia length throughout the experiment. Optimal growth performance was observed in the Control, while adding trace minerals to basal diets tended to result in decreased productive performance. Protein metabolizability was increased by mMnZn and mMnZnCu treatments, but energy metabolizability was not affected. Concentrations of Mn, Zn, Cu in excreta varied greatly related to dietary content, and the retentions of Cu, Fe, Zn and Mn were all increased due to the improvement of mineral balance. Based on these results, it is suggested that the concentrations of Cu, Fe, Zn and Mn in typical basal diets used in this study were adequate for normal growth for pullets from 1 to 18 weeks of age.