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An Attempt to Shorten the Molt and to Stimulate Egg Production by the Feeding of Methionine1
334
RESEARCH NOTES
TABLE 1.—Effectiveness Group no.
Phosphorus supplement
None 1.95 percent Ca3(P04)2 3:25 percent Qa,3(P04)s 1.40 percent Ca(P0 4 ) 2 2.28 percent Ca(P0 3 ) 2 2.28 percent Ca(P0 3 ) 2 (100-mesh)
Calcium diet
Phosphorus m diet
Av. wt. chicks at 3 weeks
percent 1.90 1.80 1.69 1.84 1.90 1.72
percent 0.42 0.80 0.96 0.84 1.10 1.05
gms. 100 116 100 105 115 119
in
metaphosphate are summarized in Table 1 together with the results of the chick bone ash determinations. Each of the six experimental diets was fed to a group of 20 White Leghorn chicks during a period of three weeks, beginning when the chicks were one day old. The phosphorus supplements included in the diets of groups 2 to 6 replaced appropriate quantities of oyster shell flour and ground yellow corn, the aim being to maintain the same calcium level in all diets. When the chicks were three weeks old, they were killed and the left tibiae removed, extracted with alcohol and ether, and ashed at 8S0°C. according to the A.O.A.C. procedure for vitamin D assays. That the phosphorus of calcium meta-
Fat-free Bone dry tibia ash per 100 at 3 weeks gms. chick percent 36.33 44.57 43.95 43.06 44.45 43.38
gms. 2.44 2.70 2.68 2.70 2.79 2.79
'Journal series paper of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, Rutgers University, Department of Agricultural Biochemistry.
bone gms. 0.0900 0.1394 0.1177 0.1220 0.1427 0.1440
phosphate was utilized effectively is indicated by the figures for percent bone ash and the weight of fat-free dry bone per 100 gms. of chick. The figures for grams of ash per bone show the combined effects upon percent bone ash, and growth exerted by the various phosphorus supplements. It may be concluded that amorphous calcium metaphosphate is a satisfactory phosphorus supplement for use in poultry feeds. H. R. BIRD C. D. CASKEY, JR.
Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station College Park Southern States Laboratories Baltimore Received for publication May 28, 1943
AN ATTEMPT TO SHORTEN THE MOLT AND TO STIMULATE EGG PRODUCTION BY THE FEEDING OF METHIONINE 1 It has been found in this laboratory (Holman, 1941) that when egg production exceeds SO percent, or when the daily feather loss during the molt exceeds 0.9 gm., hens fed a practical poultry ration are usually in negative sulfur balance. Since methionine is a constituent of egg albumin and since it is an essential amino acid for the growing chick (Klose and Almquist, 1941), although its essentiality for the hen
Ash
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries on June 5, 2016
1 2 3 4 5 6
of amorphous calcium metaphosphate as a source of phophorus for chicks
is not known, it is conceivable that heavy layers are forced to draw upon their body supply of this amino acid for egg formation. Such a withdrawal might disturb the physiological status of the hen and be one of the causes of high mortality commonly observed in laying flocks. Furthermore, it was considered possible that an increase in the methionine consumed might furnish a constituent necessary for feather formation and thus shorten the molt. Consequently on the assumption that the body stores of methionine may have been
RESEARCH NOTES
depleted during the laying season, d-1 methionine was fed to molting hens to determine whether the length of the molt could be shortened and the resumption of egg production brought about at an earlier date and at an increased rate. EXPERIMENTAL
TABLE 1.—Effect
Bird no.
Supplement
1
H1355 H1396 H1243 H1213 1702 1739 1703 1714 1709 1712 1779 1859
Methionine None Methionine None Methionine None Methionine None Methionine None Methionine None
3 4 5 6 Ave. Ave.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The length of the molt and the rate of egg production following the molt are given
of methionine feeding on the length of the molt and on egg production
Pair no.
2
tion was at the rate of 70 mg. per hen per day, a quantity calculated to supply the average deficit of sulfur which had been found to occur at the peak of the molt or during heavy egg production (Holman, 1941). The total period of methionine feeding was 57 days for each hen receiving the supplement.
Date of last egg before molt Sept. Sept. Oct. Sept. Oct. Oct. Oct.
20 22 3 30 7 6 8
Oct. 15
Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct.
20 18 26 30
Date of first egg after molt Dec. Dec. Nov. Nov. Nov. Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Nov. Nov.
15 19 25 18 28 7 24 18 3 24 30 11
Methionine None
beginning of the molt on essentially the same date. Since no other criterion of similarity was used, considerable variation in the response of the members of a pair might be expected. During the laying season and continuing through the experimental period a laying ration of the practical farm type was fed. Methionine feeding by capsule was started 15 to 51 days after the beginning of the molt and was continued for 22 to 43 days after the first egg was laid following the molt. The wide range of days mentioned is due, of course, to variations in the length of the molting period. Supplementa-
Days of Days of molt molt folprelowing ceding supplesupplementation mentation 51
35
—
—
—
—.
•
.—.
38 34 —
•
33
15
18
14
—
—
—
—
—
—
21
15
23 20
32
21
—
—
Total days of molt 86 88 53 49 52 62 47 64 44 37 35 12 53 52
Days Percent supplerate of mentation proafter start duction of proafter duction molt 22
— 42
— 39
— 43
— 34
— 37
— 36
—•
70 34 39 57 33 50 58 36 57 61 62 43 53 47
in Table 1. For purposes of record the molt is considered to be that period between the cessation and resumption of egg production when an appreciable loss of feathers occurs. The length of the molting period was essentially the same for both members of four of the pairs, nos. 1, 2, 3, and 5, longer for the hen of pair 4 which did not receive methionine, and longer for the member of pair 6 which did receive the supplement. Therefore, it is evident that the feeding of d-1 methionine did not shorten the molting period. Following the molt the rate of egg production of each hen was observed for at
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries on June 5, 2016
Six pairs of hens which had completed a laying season were selected from the experiment station flock so that the members of each pair had laid the last egg at the
335
336
RESEARCH NOTES
least six weeks. Egg production by the methionine-fed hen was higher for three pairs, nos. 1, 4, and 6, lower for two pairs, nos. 2 and 3, and essentially the same for each member of pair 5. Furthermore the number of days of methionine feeding following the end of the molting period did not influence the egg production rate. CONCLUSION
M. W I G H T TAYLOR WALTER C.
RUSSELL
Department of Agricultural Biochemistry, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J. Received for publication May 29, 1943 REFERENCES
Holman, R. T., 1941. The laying and non-laying Rutgers University. Klose, A. A., and H. Methionine in the diet Chem. 138:467-469.
sulfur balance of the hen. Master's thesis, J. Almquist, 1941. of the chick. J. Biol.
Distillers' Dried Solubles as a Vitamin Supplement in Chick Rations (Continued from page 329) Cooley, T. C , 1938. Distillery by-products. Ind. Eng. Chem. 30:615-621. D'Ercole, A. D., W. B. Esselen, and C. H. Fellers, 1939. The nutritive value of distillers' b y j products. Poultry Sci. 18:89-9S. Dickens F. L., R. T. Parkhurst, and C. R. Fellers, 1941. Corn distillers' dried grains with solubles in poultry rations. Poultry Sci. 20:536-542. Henry, W. A., 1900. P. 421. Feeds and feeding. Insko, W. M., G. D. Buckner, J. H. Martin, and A. Harms, 1937. Distillery slop in chick rations.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries on June 5, 2016
The feeding of d-1 methionine to molting hens did not shorten the molting period rior did it increase the rate of egg production following the molt. It is apparent, therefore, that the feeding of d-1 methionine does not make good any nutritional
deficiency which may have developed in the hen as a result of heavy egg production and of the loss of feathers during the molting period.
Ky. Agr. Exp. Sta. Circ. 46 :l-8. Quinn, J. P., and C. W. Knox, 1939. Sex identification of Barred Plymouth Rock baby chicks by down, shank, and beak characteristics. Poultry Sci. 18:259-264. Shea, K. G., C. R. Fellers, and R. T. Parkhurst, 1941. Corn distillers' dried grains with solubles in poultry rations. Poultry Sci. 20'527-535. Sloan, H. J., 1941. The use of distillers' byproducts in poultry rations. Poultry Sci. 20:8396.
RESEARCH NOTES
TABLE 1.—Effectiveness Group no.
Phosphorus supplement
None 1.95 percent Ca3(P04)2 3:25 percent Qa,3(P04)s 1.40 percent Ca(P0 4 ) 2 2.28 percent Ca(P0 3 ) 2 2.28 percent Ca(P0 3 ) 2 (100-mesh)
Calcium diet
Phosphorus m diet
Av. wt. chicks at 3 weeks
percent 1.90 1.80 1.69 1.84 1.90 1.72
percent 0.42 0.80 0.96 0.84 1.10 1.05
gms. 100 116 100 105 115 119
in
metaphosphate are summarized in Table 1 together with the results of the chick bone ash determinations. Each of the six experimental diets was fed to a group of 20 White Leghorn chicks during a period of three weeks, beginning when the chicks were one day old. The phosphorus supplements included in the diets of groups 2 to 6 replaced appropriate quantities of oyster shell flour and ground yellow corn, the aim being to maintain the same calcium level in all diets. When the chicks were three weeks old, they were killed and the left tibiae removed, extracted with alcohol and ether, and ashed at 8S0°C. according to the A.O.A.C. procedure for vitamin D assays. That the phosphorus of calcium meta-
Fat-free Bone dry tibia ash per 100 at 3 weeks gms. chick percent 36.33 44.57 43.95 43.06 44.45 43.38
gms. 2.44 2.70 2.68 2.70 2.79 2.79
'Journal series paper of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, Rutgers University, Department of Agricultural Biochemistry.
bone gms. 0.0900 0.1394 0.1177 0.1220 0.1427 0.1440
phosphate was utilized effectively is indicated by the figures for percent bone ash and the weight of fat-free dry bone per 100 gms. of chick. The figures for grams of ash per bone show the combined effects upon percent bone ash, and growth exerted by the various phosphorus supplements. It may be concluded that amorphous calcium metaphosphate is a satisfactory phosphorus supplement for use in poultry feeds. H. R. BIRD C. D. CASKEY, JR.
Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station College Park Southern States Laboratories Baltimore Received for publication May 28, 1943
AN ATTEMPT TO SHORTEN THE MOLT AND TO STIMULATE EGG PRODUCTION BY THE FEEDING OF METHIONINE 1 It has been found in this laboratory (Holman, 1941) that when egg production exceeds SO percent, or when the daily feather loss during the molt exceeds 0.9 gm., hens fed a practical poultry ration are usually in negative sulfur balance. Since methionine is a constituent of egg albumin and since it is an essential amino acid for the growing chick (Klose and Almquist, 1941), although its essentiality for the hen
Ash
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries on June 5, 2016
1 2 3 4 5 6
of amorphous calcium metaphosphate as a source of phophorus for chicks
is not known, it is conceivable that heavy layers are forced to draw upon their body supply of this amino acid for egg formation. Such a withdrawal might disturb the physiological status of the hen and be one of the causes of high mortality commonly observed in laying flocks. Furthermore, it was considered possible that an increase in the methionine consumed might furnish a constituent necessary for feather formation and thus shorten the molt. Consequently on the assumption that the body stores of methionine may have been
RESEARCH NOTES
depleted during the laying season, d-1 methionine was fed to molting hens to determine whether the length of the molt could be shortened and the resumption of egg production brought about at an earlier date and at an increased rate. EXPERIMENTAL
TABLE 1.—Effect
Bird no.
Supplement
1
H1355 H1396 H1243 H1213 1702 1739 1703 1714 1709 1712 1779 1859
Methionine None Methionine None Methionine None Methionine None Methionine None Methionine None
3 4 5 6 Ave. Ave.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The length of the molt and the rate of egg production following the molt are given
of methionine feeding on the length of the molt and on egg production
Pair no.
2
tion was at the rate of 70 mg. per hen per day, a quantity calculated to supply the average deficit of sulfur which had been found to occur at the peak of the molt or during heavy egg production (Holman, 1941). The total period of methionine feeding was 57 days for each hen receiving the supplement.
Date of last egg before molt Sept. Sept. Oct. Sept. Oct. Oct. Oct.
20 22 3 30 7 6 8
Oct. 15
Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct.
20 18 26 30
Date of first egg after molt Dec. Dec. Nov. Nov. Nov. Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Nov. Nov.
15 19 25 18 28 7 24 18 3 24 30 11
Methionine None
beginning of the molt on essentially the same date. Since no other criterion of similarity was used, considerable variation in the response of the members of a pair might be expected. During the laying season and continuing through the experimental period a laying ration of the practical farm type was fed. Methionine feeding by capsule was started 15 to 51 days after the beginning of the molt and was continued for 22 to 43 days after the first egg was laid following the molt. The wide range of days mentioned is due, of course, to variations in the length of the molting period. Supplementa-
Days of Days of molt molt folprelowing ceding supplesupplementation mentation 51
35
—
—
—
—.
•
.—.
38 34 —
•
33
15
18
14
—
—
—
—
—
—
21
15
23 20
32
21
—
—
Total days of molt 86 88 53 49 52 62 47 64 44 37 35 12 53 52
Days Percent supplerate of mentation proafter start duction of proafter duction molt 22
— 42
— 39
— 43
— 34
— 37
— 36
—•
70 34 39 57 33 50 58 36 57 61 62 43 53 47
in Table 1. For purposes of record the molt is considered to be that period between the cessation and resumption of egg production when an appreciable loss of feathers occurs. The length of the molting period was essentially the same for both members of four of the pairs, nos. 1, 2, 3, and 5, longer for the hen of pair 4 which did not receive methionine, and longer for the member of pair 6 which did receive the supplement. Therefore, it is evident that the feeding of d-1 methionine did not shorten the molting period. Following the molt the rate of egg production of each hen was observed for at
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries on June 5, 2016
Six pairs of hens which had completed a laying season were selected from the experiment station flock so that the members of each pair had laid the last egg at the
335
336
RESEARCH NOTES
least six weeks. Egg production by the methionine-fed hen was higher for three pairs, nos. 1, 4, and 6, lower for two pairs, nos. 2 and 3, and essentially the same for each member of pair 5. Furthermore the number of days of methionine feeding following the end of the molting period did not influence the egg production rate. CONCLUSION
M. W I G H T TAYLOR WALTER C.
RUSSELL
Department of Agricultural Biochemistry, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J. Received for publication May 29, 1943 REFERENCES
Holman, R. T., 1941. The laying and non-laying Rutgers University. Klose, A. A., and H. Methionine in the diet Chem. 138:467-469.
sulfur balance of the hen. Master's thesis, J. Almquist, 1941. of the chick. J. Biol.
Distillers' Dried Solubles as a Vitamin Supplement in Chick Rations (Continued from page 329) Cooley, T. C , 1938. Distillery by-products. Ind. Eng. Chem. 30:615-621. D'Ercole, A. D., W. B. Esselen, and C. H. Fellers, 1939. The nutritive value of distillers' b y j products. Poultry Sci. 18:89-9S. Dickens F. L., R. T. Parkhurst, and C. R. Fellers, 1941. Corn distillers' dried grains with solubles in poultry rations. Poultry Sci. 20:536-542. Henry, W. A., 1900. P. 421. Feeds and feeding. Insko, W. M., G. D. Buckner, J. H. Martin, and A. Harms, 1937. Distillery slop in chick rations.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries on June 5, 2016
The feeding of d-1 methionine to molting hens did not shorten the molting period rior did it increase the rate of egg production following the molt. It is apparent, therefore, that the feeding of d-1 methionine does not make good any nutritional
deficiency which may have developed in the hen as a result of heavy egg production and of the loss of feathers during the molting period.
Ky. Agr. Exp. Sta. Circ. 46 :l-8. Quinn, J. P., and C. W. Knox, 1939. Sex identification of Barred Plymouth Rock baby chicks by down, shank, and beak characteristics. Poultry Sci. 18:259-264. Shea, K. G., C. R. Fellers, and R. T. Parkhurst, 1941. Corn distillers' dried grains with solubles in poultry rations. Poultry Sci. 20'527-535. Sloan, H. J., 1941. The use of distillers' byproducts in poultry rations. Poultry Sci. 20:8396.