Effect of Force Molting by Dietary Supplementation with ZnO and Vitamin C and Postmolting Periods on Egg Production of Broiler Breeder chickens

Volume 16 , Issue 1 , October 2014 , Pages 207-217

Authors

¹ Faculty of Agriculture science): Animal Production Dept., Sulaimani

² Halabja University: Sulaimani

Zinc as Zinc Oxide at three levels (15000, 20000 and 25000ppm) with or without

vitamin C was used as a method to induced molting of 296 Arbor Acres broiler breeder

at 375 days old. Hens were randomly divided into eight treatments. Two treatments (T1

and T2) were free of Zinc included control with or without (1g/ kg) vitamin C; three

treatments (T3, T5 and T7) included different levels of zinc (15000, 20000 and

25000ppm Zn as ZnO) without vitamin C; while, (T4, T6 and T8) included different

levels of zinc (15000, 20000 and 25000ppm Zn as ZnO) with (1g/ kg) vitamin C addition.

Postmolting periods were divided into 6 periods. All treatments and post molting

periods had significant (P<0.05) effects on egg production traits. Hens in T4 significantly

(P<0.05) better in most egg production traits. While hens in T8 had significantly

(P<0.05) higher egg weight. Hens in T1 and at period 1 had significantly (P<0.05) lowest

feed efficiency compared with others. Results also indicated that highest weight of eggs,

number of eggs/ hen and cumulative egg/ hen for all treatments occurred during the

Period 6 followed by Period 5 and 7 and the lowest number and cumulative egg/ hen was

at Period 1 and 8.

Statistics