Influence of Protamone on fatty liver syndrome in commercial laying hens

Two experiments were conducted to determine the influence of Protamone on fatty liver syndrome in commercial laying hens. The addition of either 110 or 220 mg of protamone per kilogram of diet significantly lowered liver fat and also significantly reduced body weight. From histological examination of livers of hens fed Protamone it was found that the hepatocytes contained little or no lipid, whereas hepatocytes of hens fed the control diet were turgid with lipid. The addition of Protamone to the diet resulted in a significant reduction in egg production without effecting feed efficiency in Experiment 1. In Experiment 2, egg production was significantly reduced and feed efficiency improved during Days 1 to 28. However, feed efficiency was poorer during Days 29 to 56 for hens receiving the Protamone.