The Cause of Change in Egg Cycle by Varying Sulfur Amino Acid Content of the Diet1

The Cause of Change in Egg Cycle by Varying Sulfur Amino Acid Content of the Diet1

RESEARCH NOTES unsaturated acids, e.g., coconut oil and corn oil significantly lowered the incidence of lesions from avian leukosis compared with the...

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RESEARCH NOTES

unsaturated acids, e.g., coconut oil and corn oil significantly lowered the incidence of lesions from avian leukosis compared with the commercial type diet (Boyd and Edwards, 1968). It had been already shown that these oils are particularly rich in vitamin E (Ames, 1956). It is suggested that free radicals formed in autooxidation of unsaturated fat in the absence of adequate vitamin E in body tissue may produce a predisposing condition for tumorigenesis by latent leukosis virus. An experimental project is in progress in

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this Laboratory to test this hypothesis and the results will be presented in the near future. REFERENCES Ames, S. R., 19S6. Role of vitamin E (o-tocopherol) in poultry nutrition and disease. A review of recent literature. Poultry Sci. 3 5 : 145159. Boyd, F. M., and H. M. Edwards, Jr., 1968. Effect of diet on avian leukosis. Poultry Sci. 47: 338339. Saadot-Noori, M., J. Nahani, H. Saedi and K. Nikpour, 1970. The incidence of vitamin E deficiency in poultry around Tehran. Poultry Sci. 49: 675-678.

R. S. MORENO,2 H. R. WILSON, B. L. DAMRON AND R. H. HARMS Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, Gainesville, Florida 32601 (Received for publication July 23. 1970)

Moreno et al. (1970) reported that a linear relationship existed between length of laying cycle and the protein or sulfur amino acid content of the laying hen diet. Therefore, it was suggested that the laying cycle was a better criterion for use in measuring the sulfur amino acid adequacy of a laying hen diet than production characteristics previously used. This experiment was conducted to determine if the length of the rapid growth phase of yolk formation was the cause of different cycle lengths produced by feeding different levels of sulfur amino acids. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES

Hens used in this study had been receiving diets containing various levels of sulfur amino acids for 56 days prior to the initiation of the experiment. During the last 28 'Florida Agr. Exp. Sta. Journal Series No. 3S94. 'Present address: DeKalb Hatcheries, Miami, Florida 33143.

days the length of their laying cycles were 7.49, 6.20, 5.37, 3.72, and 2.10, respectively, for hens receiving diets as previously used by Harms et al. (1969) which contained 130, 115,100, 85, and 70% of their sulfur amino acid requirement. Each hen was fed a gelatin capsule containing approximately 30 mg. of Oil-red-0 dye on the 56th day and were continued on these diets. Beginning on the day of dye administration, eggs were gathered daily and individually marked for a period of three weeks. The eggs were hard cooked and the size of the yolk (% of ovulated size) at dye administration was determined by the following techniques. The diameters of the dye ring and of the entire yolk were determined by duplicate measurements of each taken in two directions at right angles across the yolk (Figure 1). The average of the duplicate measurements was used for calculations. The diameter of the ring of dye was divided by the diameter of the yolk in order to determine the location of the dye ring in rela-

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THE CAUSE OF CHANGE IN EGG CYCLE BY VARYING SULFUR AMINO ACID CONTENT OF THE DIET 1

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RESEARCH NOTES

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X 100 = 72%

% of Mature Ovum Size = diameter of dye ring diameter of mature yolk

^

100

FIG. 1. Example of the calculation for percent of mature ovum size.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The rate of disappearance was the same

for all treatments, therefore, it is plotted only for those hens receiving the highest and lowest levels of sulfur amino acids (Figure 2). The disappearance of dye or yolk growth was greatest from the third to the tenth day of the experimental period (Figure 2). For the remainder of the time, the disappearance occurred at a slower rate. These two periods coincide with the period of rapid and slow growth of the developing ova as described by Warren and Lowest amino acid level Highest amino acid level

90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10

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DAYS POST DYE FEEDING

FIG. 2. Rate of dye disappearance for hens receiving two levels of sulfur amino acids.

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tionship to the center of the yolk. The average of the ratios expressed as a percentage was plotted daily to determine the rate of decrease of the dye ring diameter as compared to final yolk size. The period from dye administration until the dye ring disappeared was used as the length of time for the rapid growth of the yolk.

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RESEARCH NOTES

Conrad (1939). It is therefore concluded that no difference existed in the rate of yolk formation in hens fed methionine levels ranging from 0.188 to 0.348 percent, with total sulfur amino acid levels ranging from 0.3SS to 0.592 percent, respectively. It is hypothesized that the difference in length of laying cycle was due to a difference in the time interval in which each ovum was stimulated to start rapid growth.

REFERENCES Moreno, R. S., B. L. Damron, H. R. Wilson and R. H. Harms, 1970. Use of the laying cycle as a criterion of dietary protein or sulfur amino acid adequacy. Poultry Sci: in press. Warren, D. C , and R. M. Conrad, 1939. Growth of the hen's ovum. J. Agri. Res. 58: 875-893. Harms, R. H., R. S. Moreno and B. L. Damron, 1969. Evaluation of distiller's dried grains with solubles in diets of laying hens. Poultry Sci. 48: 1652-1655.

NEWS AND NOTES (Continued from, page 1290)

DEKALB NOTES Michael Holms has been appointed District Sales Manager in DeKalb AgResearch's South Alabama region. He has worked for four years with a large feed company. ANDERSON NOTES Anderson Systems, Inc. has been organized to develop and provide complete systems for producing poultry and livestock. Norman R. Clizer has been named General Manager and brings to the organization highly qualified and experienced background. He is a graduate in agriculture from the University of Missouri, and served with the University's Agricultural Extension Program. He is well known throughout the agricultural industry as an authority on management and environmental housing, and has written a number of articles concerning this area. His field experience includes Missouri-Arkansas sales and Poultry Feed Division Staff for Hales and Hunter (Red Comb Feeds). He later joined Allied Mills in Chicago as Sales Co-ordinator, and before joining Anderson Systems was Products Manager of Allied at Des Moines, Iowa.

I.F.T. NOTES Hans Lineweaver, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Western Regional Research Laboratory, Albany, California, has been elected President of the Institute of Food Technologists. MERCK NOTES Dr. H. Lincoln Easterbrooks has been appointed Research Veterinarian, Animal Virus Research Laboratory, Merck Institute for Therapeutic Research. Formerly Product Manager for Large Animal Products in the Merck Chemical Division, Dr. Easterbrooks joined the Company in 1964 as a Technical Specialist engaged in field work. He received a D.V.M. degree at Ohio State and an M.S. degree from the University of Connecticut. He will have responsibility for in vivo research with animal viruses of economic veterinary importance, starting specifically with Marek's disease. SALSBURY NOTES Dr. Douglas E. Salsbury has been appointed General Manager of Salsbury Laboratories. Prior to joining the Salsbury organization, he assisted in a veterinary practice at Sidney, Montana. He attended Washington State University, and is a graduate of the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He is the third generation veterinarian of the Salsbury family to assume administrative responsibilities of the Laboratories. The Company was founded by the late Dr. J. E. Salsbury in the early 20's. Through his work in the Salsbury Veterinary Services Department, Dr. Salsbury has gained a wide acquaintance with the poultry in-

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quality of the environment, on scientific data, on standards and tolerances, and on recommended test procedures. Other Members of the Committee are: B. M. Anthony, MFC Services (AAL); Donald Deamer, Campbell Soup Company; D. E. Fogg, Esham's Farms Corporation; C. Fred Gurnham, Gurnham & Associates, Inc.; J. C. Hesler, Armour & Company; Edgar J. Paulson, Calgon Corporation; and Gilbert L. Powers, Norbest Turkey Growers Association.