The effect of feeding time on shell quality and oviposition time in broiler breeders

Abstract

Three experiments were performed to determine the effect of feeding time on shell quality and oviposition time in broiler breeders. Mean eggshell thickness was increased significantly by 3.5 microm (approximately 1%) per h delay in feeding time when hens were housed in individual cages. However, eggshell thickness was not significantly affected by feeding time when birds were housed on litter floors. Mean oviposition time was delayed relative to lights on by 5 min per h delay in feeding time. Egg weight was not significantly affected by feeding time, suggesting that differences in shell thickness and oviposition times were not due to increased oviducal transit times. Producers who wish to implement delayed feeding may have to turn lights on earlier than usual to compensate for delayed oviposition times.

The effect of different feeding schedules on egg quality, blood, and bone parameters in broiler breeders

“…Moreover, Samara et al (1996) and Harms (1991) reported that egg weight was not affected by feeding time. In addition, Backhouse and Gous (2005) report that egg weight was not significantly affected by the feeding time, suggesting that differences in shell thickness and oviposition times were not due to increased oviducal transit times.…”

“…The results of this study were according to the results reported by Cave (1981), Bootwalla et al (1983) and Samara et al (1996), who reported that different feeding schedules had no effect on egg production. Backhouse and Gous (2005) evaluated different feeding schedules for broiler breeders (57 week old), at 07:30 AM, 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM and 3:30 PM and other treatments, in which hens were daily half fed at 07:30 AM and at 3:30 PM (half-feeding) and it was observed that feeding time had no significant effect on total egg production from 26 to 32 weeks of age.…”

“…In this study, the highest egg specific gravity was observed in hens fed at 3:00 PM (Table 3). Backhouse and Gous (2005) showed that split feeding could improve the eggshell quality. Harms (1991) also observed that egg specific gravity is increased when the broiler breeder hens were fed daily at 4:00 PM, the improvement was very small compared with the result at 8:00 AM.…”

“…This is because broiler breeders are unable to retain calcium from the crop to the lower digestive tract at a uniform rate (Farmer et al, 1983a). It may be possible to improve eggshell quality if nutrients are supplied at times that correspond more closely to periods of eggshell deposition by changing the time of feed intake (Backhouse and Gous, 2005).…”

Egg laying characteristics, egg weight, embryo development, hatching weight and post-hatch growth in relation to oviposition time of broiler breeders

“…Clutch length is an external indicator of the ovarian follicular growth in the rapid growth phase (Bahr and Palmer, 1989;Johnson, 1999;Zakaria, 1999aZakaria, , 2001Johnston and Gous, 2003). Oviposition time has been influenced by strain (Lewis et al, 2004;Campo et al, 2007;Tumova and Gous, 2012), lighting schedule (Lewis et al, 2001(Lewis et al, , 2004 and feeding time (Backhouse and Gous, 2005) of a flock. However, data about egg laying pattern of feed restricted broiler breeders are relatively limited.…”