Intestinal and eggshell calbindin, and bone ash of laying hens as influenced by age and molting

A series of trials was conducted in order to study the effects of age and molt on intestinal and eggshell gland (ESG) calbindin, and on bone ash. For this purpose an ELISA for chicken calbindin was developed. Age did not significantly affect duodenal or ESG calbindin. Bone ash increased (but not significantly in this study) from 8 to 16 months of age. During molt induction, egg laying was arrested, duodenal and ESG calbindin almost completely disappeared and ovary mass, plasma estradiol and total calcium (Ca) decreased markedly, whereas bone ash and body mass (BW) decreased moderately. During the non-laying period that followed the feed withdrawal period, duodenal and ESG calbindin remained low, whereas plasma estradiol and other estrogen-dependent variables, such as plasma total Ca and bone ash, increased slightly. At the onset of egg production following molting, duodenal and ESG calbindin levels were similar to pre molt level. Bone ash was higher than at the pre molt period. Body mass, small yellow follicles, ovary and oviduct mass and plasma estradiol were lower than their values prior to molt induction. Bone ash contents in the molted hens at the ages of 583 and 820 days were similar to or even slightly higher than those in the non-molted hens, whereas duodenal and ESG calbindin were not significantly different. These results suggest that the improvement of shell quality in the molted birds does not involve mechanisms associated with calbindin synthesis.