Early postmolt performance of laying hens fed a low-protein corn molt dietsupplemented with corn gluten meal, feather meal, methionine, and lysine

Commercial White Leghorn hens (65, 63, or 70 wk of age in Experiments 1, 2, and 3, respectively) were induced molted by feed withdrawal until approxim ately 28% body weight was lost. All hens were then weighed, and seven repli cate groups of 12 hens each were fed molt diets. In Experiment 1, three die ts consisted of a corn basal diet (7.9% CP) or this diet supplemented with corn gluten meal (CGM) and Lys or feather meal (FM), Met, and Lys. In Exper iments 2 and 3, varying levels of FM and FM with Met and Lys were evaluated . A 16% CP corn-soybean meal diet was used as a positive control in all exp eriments. The molt diets were fed for 17, 15, and 17 d in Experiments 1, 2, and 3, respectively, and production performance was measured for 8 wk from the beginning of feeding the layer diet. In all experiments, hens fed the 16% CP corn-soybean meal molt diet returne d to egg production and regained body weight at a faster rate than did hens fed any of the other diets. In Experiment 1, early egg production of hens fed the corn basal diet supplemented with CGM and Lys or supplementation wi th FM, Met, and Lys was greater (P < 0.05) than that of hens fed the basal diet alone. In Experiment 2, very early egg production (Week 1) and body we ight gain were lower (P < 0.05) for hens fed the corn basal diet than for h ens fed the basal supplemented with FM, Met, and Lys. The addition of 5.75 or 8.5% FM or 5.75% FM plus Met and Lys generally increased (P < 0.05) earl y egg production and postmolt body weight gain compared to the corn basal d iet in Experiment 3. The present study thus indicated that improved early p ostmolt performance may be achieved by supplementation of a low-protein cor n molt diet with various combinations of CGM, FM, Met, and Lys.