Dietary protein: Layer performance and mineral use responses of laying performance and mineral utilization to graded levels of dietary crude protein in laying hens.

ABSTRACT: The intricate relationship between nitrogen and the mineral metabolism in laying hens has been well-established. However, the changes in digestion, deposition, and utilization of minerals under low-protein diets remain to be fully elucidated. In this study, 504 Hy-line Brown laying hens, aged 49 weeks, were assigned to six groups (7 replicates with 12 hens each) and fed diets with crude protein (CP) levels of 15.0, 15.5, 16.0, 16.5, 17.0, and 17.5 % to explore mineral metabolism changes. The elevation of the dietary CP levels led to significant increases in the average daily feed intake, the total egg weight, and the egg yolk color (linear, P < 0.001, quadratic, P < 0.001). It also resulted in a decrease in the feed-to-egg ratio (linear, P < 0.001, quadratic, P < 0.001). The group that was

SUBMITTER: Zhang X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12581713 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature