The Effect of Dietary Protein Restriction of Laying Hens on Subsequent Performance

Abstract Waldroup and Harms (1962) have demonstrated that low dietary protein levels during the growing period delayed sexual maturity of egg production type pullets but had no effect on subsequent rate of lay when the pullets were placed on a normal layer diet. Subsequent studies (Harms and Waldroup, 1963) indicated that low dietary protein levels during the laying period significantly lowered rate of egg production. This study was designed to study the influence of dietary protein restriction during the initial phase of the laying period on subsequent performance of laying hens on diets containing adequate protein. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Commercial egg production type pullets were reared in confinement and full fed a starter diet containing 22% protein and 920 Calories of productive energy per pound until eight weeks of age. From eight until 22 weeks of age a diet containing 16 percent protein and 940 Calories of productive energy was fed ad…