- Email: [email protected]
Composition and Quantity of Feed Consumed by Laying Hens versus Composition and Quantity of Body Fat and Eggs Produced*
G. DAVIS BUCKNEE, W. M. INSKO, JR., AND AMANDA HARMS Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station, Lexington, Kentucky (Received for publication June 21, 1940)
T
HE data discussed herein is part 2 of an experiment in which studies are being made of the influence of certain rations on the composition and quantity of fat deposited in eggs and adiopose tissue of chickens. Results of a previous experiment (1938) in which different amounts of yellow corn contained in balanced rations for growing Rhode Island Red chickens were replaced by thick distillery slop showed that the rations containing the larger amount of yellow corn developed fatter and better flavored chickens and the fat deposited in the chicks had a lower iodine number and a higher refractive index. Unpublished data obtained at the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station yielded similar results when distillers corn dried grains which contained less than 1 percent of starch replaced different amounts of yellow corn, containing approximately 62 percent of starch, in rations for growing chicks. From these experiments it was deduced that the fat deposited in growing chicks raised in battery brooders was derived mainly from the starch in the corn. This phase of the experiment was *The investigation reported in this paper is in connection with a project of the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station and is published by permission of the director.
planned to determine the effects produced on the quantity and composition of the body reserve fat deposited in laying hens and egg yolk by rations which differed widely in composition, particularly in starch content, and to compare the total weight of feeds and of nutrients consumed by the laying hens with the weight of eggs and of fat in the eggs produced during a given period of time. On December 14, 1938, 36 one-year-old Rhode Island Red hens were selected from the experiment station farm breeding flock, all having approximately the same weight, state of health, egg-laying record, and condition. They were placed in individual henfattening batteries and divided into four groups. They were weighed every four weeks thereafter for four and one-half periods. Each lot was fed, ad libitum, the allmash rations ascribed to it in Table 1. In lots 2, 3, and 4, yellow com was replaced partly or entirely by distillers corn dried grains and other ingredients which contained less starch. The percentages of ground yellow com in lots 1 arid 2 were respectively 53.5 and 27.0 and lots 3 and 4 contained none. The percentages of distillers com dried grains were 0, 27.0, 37.0, and 17.0 in lots 1 to 4, inclusive.
[121]
In Table 2 will be found analyses of the
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at North Dakota State University on May 20, 2015
Composition and Quantity of Feed Consumed by Laying Hens versus Composition and Quantity of Body Fat and Eggs Produced*
122
G. DAVIS BUCKNER, W. M. INSKO, JR., AND AMANDA HARMS
TABLE 1.—Composition of the mashes fed each lot (percentage)
Ground yellow corn Mixed wheat feed Distillers' corn dried grams Soybean oil meal Alfalfa leaf meal Dried skimmilk Meat scrap Salt Limestone Bone meal Cod liver oil concentrate
Lotl
Lot 2 Lot 3 Lot 4
53.5 21.0
27.0 21.0
0.0 30.0
0.0 39.5
0.0 4.0 2.0 8.0 6.0 1.0 1.5 2.5
27.0 4.0 2.0 8.0 6.0 1.0 1.5 2.0
37.0 6.0 3.0 11.5 8.5 1.0 2.5 0.0
17.0 8.0 4.0 16.0 12.0 1.0 2.0 0.0
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
were dried to a constant weight in a forced air electric oven at 100°C. and the weight of the whites and water in the yolks obtained by difference. Unpublished data obtained by the authors indicate that the difference in the weight of unboiled and boiled yolks of eggs laid on alternate days is neg-
TABLE 2.—Analyses of the mashes fed to each lot. Percentage of the water-free material Lot 1 Lot 2 Lot 3 Lot 4 Protein Fat Fiber Nitrogen-free extract Ash
18.5 4.8 3.6 68.6 4.5
24.4 8.2 7.6 55.1 4.7
30.4 9.2 8.8 46.9 4.7
29.4 6.8 7.2 51.2 5.4
100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Starch Calcium Phosphorus Silica
41.0 2.3 1.1 0.1
22.9 2.2 1.2 0.2
6.5 2.3 1.1 0.2
7.9 2.5 1.3 0.2
% Nitrogen-free extract H-% protein
3.71
2.26
1.54
1.74
%Starch -5- % protein
2.22
0.94
0.21
0.27
ligible. The weight of the dry fat in each yolk was obtained after extraction with ether. At the expiration of the experiment four hens in laying condition from each lot were killed and the subcutaneous and intraperitoneal reserve fats removed and weighed. In Table 4 will be found the total weight per hen of eggs and parts of eggs, in each lot, and change in body weight and the actual weight of body fat per hen. Here it will be seen that there are essential differences in the number of pounds of eggs and the separate parts of eggs produced per hen in each lot. TABLE 3.—Number of pounds of feed, nutrients, and minerals consumed per hen in each lot during the experiment 1 Total feed Protein Fat Fiber N.F.E. Starch N.F.E. less starch Ash Ca P Si0 2
2
3
4
pounds pounds pounds pounds 31.1 33.9 41.3 39.8 8.2 12.6 11.7 5.8 2.7 2.8 3.8 1.5 2.9 3.6 1.1 2.6 21.3 18.7 19.4 20.4 3.1 2.7 12.7 7.8 8.6 10.9 16.7 17.3 1.4 .7 .3 .3
1.6 .7 .4 .1
1.9 .9 .5 .1
2.1 1.0 .5 .1
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at North Dakota State University on May 20, 2015
mashes fed to each lot, calculated water free. It will be seen that the percentages of starch were 41.0, 22.9, 6.5, and 7.9, for lots 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. In Table 3 will be found the average number of pounds of feed, nutrients, and minerals consumed per hen during the 18 weeks over which this experiment extended. Here it will be seen that the average feed consumption per hen, in each lot, during the experiment was 31.1, 33.9, 41.3, and 39.8 pounds, respectively. Also the protein consumption increased from 5.8 pounds in lot 1 to approximately 12 pounds in lots 3 and 4 and there was a decrease from 12.7 pounds of starch consumed per hen in lot 1 to approximately 3 pounds in lots 3 and 4. Each day, the eggs laid by the hens were weighed individually and the eggs laid on alternate days placed in boiling water for 15 minutes. When cool the shells were removed, dried, and weighed. The yolks were weighed individually and, after crushing,
FEED CONSUMED BY HENS VERSUS BODY FAT AND EGGS PRODUCED TABLE 4.—Total weight of eggs and parts of eggs per hen in each lot and change in body weight, and the actual weight of body fat per hen 1 All eggs All dry shells AH contents
2
3
4
pounds pounds pounds pounds 7.45 6.58 9.16 8.30 .70 .71 .56 .58 6.87 6.02 8.45 7.60 4.57 2.3
3.92 2.1
5.35 3.1
5.00 2.6
Water in yolks
1.1
1.0
1.7
1.3
Dry yolks Fat
1.2 .74
1.1 .66
1.4 .89
1.3 .78
+ .07 Change in wt. per hen + .37 + .24 - . 2 Weight of body fat + .62 + .38 + .15 + .14 per hen
In Table 5 will be found the total weight of eggs and parts of eggs per hen, in each lot, per pound of feed consumed during the experiment; also the change in body weight and the actual weight of body fat contained in the hens and the iodine num-
ber and refractive index of the body and egg yolk fat. It will be seen from these figures that the total weight of all eggs, dried shells, whites, wet yolks, water in yolks, dried yolks, and fat are approximately the same for each pound of feed consumed per hen in each lot. The change in weight of the hens in each lot was negligible. However, it will be seen that the weight of body fat was largest in the hens receiving the largest quantity of yellow corn. It will also be seen that the composition of the egg yolk fat was influenced less by the rations than the reserve body fat. As a summary it may be said that even though the average amounts and compositions of feed consumed by the hens in each lot during 18 weeks varied widely the average number of pounds of eggs, dried shells, white, wet yolks, dried yolks, and dried fat in the egg were approximately the same in. each lot for each pound of feed consumed
TABLE 5.—Total weight of eggs and parts of eggs laid per hen in each lot per pound of feed consumed. Also the change in body weight and the actual weight of body fat per hen and the iodine number and refractive index of the body fat and the egg-yolk fat
Total feed consumed per hen
pounds 31.1
pounds 33.9
pounds 41.3
pounds 39.8
Total weight of parts AH eggs All dry shells All contents
.24 .02 .22
.19 .02 .17
.22 .02 .20
.21 .02 .19
All whites
.15 .07
.12 .06
.13 .08
.13 .07
.04
.03
.04
.03
.04 .02
.03 .02
.03 .02
.03 .02
+ .01 + .02
+ .01 + .01
.01 .004
+ .002 + .004
Wet yolks Water in yolks Dry yolks Fat Change in wt. per hen Wt. of body fat per h e n . . . .
I. No. . R. I. I. No.
R.I.
I. No.
R.I.
I. No.
R.I.
Egg fat
71.7
1.4667
70.2
1.4679
73.8
1.4672
73.6
1.4669
Body fat
78.9
1.4612
87.4
1.4610
87.4
1.4613
86.7
1.4610
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at North Dakota State University on May 20, 2015
All whites Wet yolks
123
124
G. DAVIS BUCKNER, W. M. INSKO, JR., AND AMANDA HARMS
the deposition of body fat. This bears a close similarity to the manner in which the carotinoid pigment xanthophyll is produced in the body of yellow skin hens and egg yolk. It is common knowledge that where a yellow skin hen starts to lay, xanthophyll in the feed is deposited in the egg yolk and not in the body of the hen. It would seem, therefore, that the processes used in body fat formation are different from those employed in the formation of egg-yolk fat and that nature's first consideration is for the production of normal progeny. REFERENCE
Buckner, G. Davis, W. M. Insko, Jr., J. Holmes Martin, and Amanda Harms, 1938. Poult. Sci. 17(5):369-371.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at North Dakota State University on May 20, 2015
per hen. However, more fat was found in the body of the hens receiving rations containing the larger percentages of starch. The facts that the quantities of dried skimmilk and meat scrap in lot 4 were twice the quantity in lot 1, the percentages of protein and fat in the ration fed lot 4 were much greater than in lot 1, and the quantity of feed consumed per hen in lot 4 was greater than that in lot 1, add evidence to the theory that the fat in laying hens is derived primarily from starch and not from protein or fat. When there is a limited quantity of starch in the feed for laying hens there seems to be a distinct physiologic preference for the deposition of egg yolk fat over
T
HE data discussed herein is part 2 of an experiment in which studies are being made of the influence of certain rations on the composition and quantity of fat deposited in eggs and adiopose tissue of chickens. Results of a previous experiment (1938) in which different amounts of yellow corn contained in balanced rations for growing Rhode Island Red chickens were replaced by thick distillery slop showed that the rations containing the larger amount of yellow corn developed fatter and better flavored chickens and the fat deposited in the chicks had a lower iodine number and a higher refractive index. Unpublished data obtained at the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station yielded similar results when distillers corn dried grains which contained less than 1 percent of starch replaced different amounts of yellow corn, containing approximately 62 percent of starch, in rations for growing chicks. From these experiments it was deduced that the fat deposited in growing chicks raised in battery brooders was derived mainly from the starch in the corn. This phase of the experiment was *The investigation reported in this paper is in connection with a project of the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station and is published by permission of the director.
planned to determine the effects produced on the quantity and composition of the body reserve fat deposited in laying hens and egg yolk by rations which differed widely in composition, particularly in starch content, and to compare the total weight of feeds and of nutrients consumed by the laying hens with the weight of eggs and of fat in the eggs produced during a given period of time. On December 14, 1938, 36 one-year-old Rhode Island Red hens were selected from the experiment station farm breeding flock, all having approximately the same weight, state of health, egg-laying record, and condition. They were placed in individual henfattening batteries and divided into four groups. They were weighed every four weeks thereafter for four and one-half periods. Each lot was fed, ad libitum, the allmash rations ascribed to it in Table 1. In lots 2, 3, and 4, yellow com was replaced partly or entirely by distillers corn dried grains and other ingredients which contained less starch. The percentages of ground yellow com in lots 1 arid 2 were respectively 53.5 and 27.0 and lots 3 and 4 contained none. The percentages of distillers com dried grains were 0, 27.0, 37.0, and 17.0 in lots 1 to 4, inclusive.
[121]
In Table 2 will be found analyses of the
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at North Dakota State University on May 20, 2015
Composition and Quantity of Feed Consumed by Laying Hens versus Composition and Quantity of Body Fat and Eggs Produced*
122
G. DAVIS BUCKNER, W. M. INSKO, JR., AND AMANDA HARMS
TABLE 1.—Composition of the mashes fed each lot (percentage)
Ground yellow corn Mixed wheat feed Distillers' corn dried grams Soybean oil meal Alfalfa leaf meal Dried skimmilk Meat scrap Salt Limestone Bone meal Cod liver oil concentrate
Lotl
Lot 2 Lot 3 Lot 4
53.5 21.0
27.0 21.0
0.0 30.0
0.0 39.5
0.0 4.0 2.0 8.0 6.0 1.0 1.5 2.5
27.0 4.0 2.0 8.0 6.0 1.0 1.5 2.0
37.0 6.0 3.0 11.5 8.5 1.0 2.5 0.0
17.0 8.0 4.0 16.0 12.0 1.0 2.0 0.0
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
were dried to a constant weight in a forced air electric oven at 100°C. and the weight of the whites and water in the yolks obtained by difference. Unpublished data obtained by the authors indicate that the difference in the weight of unboiled and boiled yolks of eggs laid on alternate days is neg-
TABLE 2.—Analyses of the mashes fed to each lot. Percentage of the water-free material Lot 1 Lot 2 Lot 3 Lot 4 Protein Fat Fiber Nitrogen-free extract Ash
18.5 4.8 3.6 68.6 4.5
24.4 8.2 7.6 55.1 4.7
30.4 9.2 8.8 46.9 4.7
29.4 6.8 7.2 51.2 5.4
100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Starch Calcium Phosphorus Silica
41.0 2.3 1.1 0.1
22.9 2.2 1.2 0.2
6.5 2.3 1.1 0.2
7.9 2.5 1.3 0.2
% Nitrogen-free extract H-% protein
3.71
2.26
1.54
1.74
%Starch -5- % protein
2.22
0.94
0.21
0.27
ligible. The weight of the dry fat in each yolk was obtained after extraction with ether. At the expiration of the experiment four hens in laying condition from each lot were killed and the subcutaneous and intraperitoneal reserve fats removed and weighed. In Table 4 will be found the total weight per hen of eggs and parts of eggs, in each lot, and change in body weight and the actual weight of body fat per hen. Here it will be seen that there are essential differences in the number of pounds of eggs and the separate parts of eggs produced per hen in each lot. TABLE 3.—Number of pounds of feed, nutrients, and minerals consumed per hen in each lot during the experiment 1 Total feed Protein Fat Fiber N.F.E. Starch N.F.E. less starch Ash Ca P Si0 2
2
3
4
pounds pounds pounds pounds 31.1 33.9 41.3 39.8 8.2 12.6 11.7 5.8 2.7 2.8 3.8 1.5 2.9 3.6 1.1 2.6 21.3 18.7 19.4 20.4 3.1 2.7 12.7 7.8 8.6 10.9 16.7 17.3 1.4 .7 .3 .3
1.6 .7 .4 .1
1.9 .9 .5 .1
2.1 1.0 .5 .1
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at North Dakota State University on May 20, 2015
mashes fed to each lot, calculated water free. It will be seen that the percentages of starch were 41.0, 22.9, 6.5, and 7.9, for lots 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. In Table 3 will be found the average number of pounds of feed, nutrients, and minerals consumed per hen during the 18 weeks over which this experiment extended. Here it will be seen that the average feed consumption per hen, in each lot, during the experiment was 31.1, 33.9, 41.3, and 39.8 pounds, respectively. Also the protein consumption increased from 5.8 pounds in lot 1 to approximately 12 pounds in lots 3 and 4 and there was a decrease from 12.7 pounds of starch consumed per hen in lot 1 to approximately 3 pounds in lots 3 and 4. Each day, the eggs laid by the hens were weighed individually and the eggs laid on alternate days placed in boiling water for 15 minutes. When cool the shells were removed, dried, and weighed. The yolks were weighed individually and, after crushing,
FEED CONSUMED BY HENS VERSUS BODY FAT AND EGGS PRODUCED TABLE 4.—Total weight of eggs and parts of eggs per hen in each lot and change in body weight, and the actual weight of body fat per hen 1 All eggs All dry shells AH contents
2
3
4
pounds pounds pounds pounds 7.45 6.58 9.16 8.30 .70 .71 .56 .58 6.87 6.02 8.45 7.60 4.57 2.3
3.92 2.1
5.35 3.1
5.00 2.6
Water in yolks
1.1
1.0
1.7
1.3
Dry yolks Fat
1.2 .74
1.1 .66
1.4 .89
1.3 .78
+ .07 Change in wt. per hen + .37 + .24 - . 2 Weight of body fat + .62 + .38 + .15 + .14 per hen
In Table 5 will be found the total weight of eggs and parts of eggs per hen, in each lot, per pound of feed consumed during the experiment; also the change in body weight and the actual weight of body fat contained in the hens and the iodine num-
ber and refractive index of the body and egg yolk fat. It will be seen from these figures that the total weight of all eggs, dried shells, whites, wet yolks, water in yolks, dried yolks, and fat are approximately the same for each pound of feed consumed per hen in each lot. The change in weight of the hens in each lot was negligible. However, it will be seen that the weight of body fat was largest in the hens receiving the largest quantity of yellow corn. It will also be seen that the composition of the egg yolk fat was influenced less by the rations than the reserve body fat. As a summary it may be said that even though the average amounts and compositions of feed consumed by the hens in each lot during 18 weeks varied widely the average number of pounds of eggs, dried shells, white, wet yolks, dried yolks, and dried fat in the egg were approximately the same in. each lot for each pound of feed consumed
TABLE 5.—Total weight of eggs and parts of eggs laid per hen in each lot per pound of feed consumed. Also the change in body weight and the actual weight of body fat per hen and the iodine number and refractive index of the body fat and the egg-yolk fat
Total feed consumed per hen
pounds 31.1
pounds 33.9
pounds 41.3
pounds 39.8
Total weight of parts AH eggs All dry shells All contents
.24 .02 .22
.19 .02 .17
.22 .02 .20
.21 .02 .19
All whites
.15 .07
.12 .06
.13 .08
.13 .07
.04
.03
.04
.03
.04 .02
.03 .02
.03 .02
.03 .02
+ .01 + .02
+ .01 + .01
.01 .004
+ .002 + .004
Wet yolks Water in yolks Dry yolks Fat Change in wt. per hen Wt. of body fat per h e n . . . .
I. No. . R. I. I. No.
R.I.
I. No.
R.I.
I. No.
R.I.
Egg fat
71.7
1.4667
70.2
1.4679
73.8
1.4672
73.6
1.4669
Body fat
78.9
1.4612
87.4
1.4610
87.4
1.4613
86.7
1.4610
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at North Dakota State University on May 20, 2015
All whites Wet yolks
123
124
G. DAVIS BUCKNER, W. M. INSKO, JR., AND AMANDA HARMS
the deposition of body fat. This bears a close similarity to the manner in which the carotinoid pigment xanthophyll is produced in the body of yellow skin hens and egg yolk. It is common knowledge that where a yellow skin hen starts to lay, xanthophyll in the feed is deposited in the egg yolk and not in the body of the hen. It would seem, therefore, that the processes used in body fat formation are different from those employed in the formation of egg-yolk fat and that nature's first consideration is for the production of normal progeny. REFERENCE
Buckner, G. Davis, W. M. Insko, Jr., J. Holmes Martin, and Amanda Harms, 1938. Poult. Sci. 17(5):369-371.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at North Dakota State University on May 20, 2015
per hen. However, more fat was found in the body of the hens receiving rations containing the larger percentages of starch. The facts that the quantities of dried skimmilk and meat scrap in lot 4 were twice the quantity in lot 1, the percentages of protein and fat in the ration fed lot 4 were much greater than in lot 1, and the quantity of feed consumed per hen in lot 4 was greater than that in lot 1, add evidence to the theory that the fat in laying hens is derived primarily from starch and not from protein or fat. When there is a limited quantity of starch in the feed for laying hens there seems to be a distinct physiologic preference for the deposition of egg yolk fat over