Special calcium appetite in laying hens.

Area of Science:

• Animal Nutrition
• Poultry Science
• Calcium Metabolism

Background:

• Laying hen performance is influenced by dietary calcium levels.
• Understanding calcium appetite is crucial for optimizing hen diets.
• Adaptation to dietary changes is key for consistent performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate calcium appetite in laying hens under different dietary calcium levels.
• To evaluate the effect of a training period on adaptation to supplemental calcium.
• To determine the relationship between dietary calcium and supplemental calcium intake.

Main Methods:

• 80 laying hens were divided into control and experimental groups.
• Experimental groups underwent a 5-week training period with decreasing dietary calcium.
• Hens were fed varying dietary calcium levels (1%, 3%, 5%) with free-choice supplement post-training.

Main Results:

• Supplemental calcium intake decreased as dietary calcium increased.
• All hens, except controls, consumed substantial amounts of supplemental calcium.
• The training protocol successfully conditioned hens to accept the calcium supplement.

Conclusions:

• Laying hens can adapt their calcium intake based on dietary levels.
• A training period enhances adaptation to supplemental calcium feeding.
• Dietary calcium levels did not negatively impact feed intake in this study.