The current replication study confirmed significant differences in gene expression profiles of the cerebrum among the two commercial layer lines Lohmann Selected Leghorn (LSL) and Lohmann Brown (LB). Microarray analyses were performed for 30 LSL and another 30 LB laying hens kept in the small group housing system Eurovent German. A total of 14,103 microarray probe sets using customized Affymetr...

This study was made to investigate the effects of breast condition and keel bone deviations on post-peak egg production a commercial laying hen housed in multi-tier conventional battery cage. The birds divided into two groups according presence deviation at first. Then further as well developed or relatively developed. hens were kept under identical management conditions for during study. Data ...

In the Netherlands in 2003, an outbreak of avian influenza in poultry resulted in extensive culling, especially of layer hens. Concurrently, human campylobacteriosis cases decreased, particularly in the culling area. These observations raise the hypothesis that Campylobacter spp. dissemination from poultry farms or slaughterhouses might contribute to human campylobacteriosis.

Due to consistent increases of inbreeding of on average 0.95% per generation in layer populations, selection tools should consider both genetic gain and genetic relationships in the long term. The optimum genetic contribution theory using official estimated breeding values for egg production was applied for 3 different lines of a layer breeding program to find the optimal allocations of hens an...

Eggs contribute for about 4% to the daily dioxin intake of humans. Research among layer farms in the Netherlands and other EU countries has shown that organic eggs contain more dioxin than conventional ones and that a significant number of organic farms produce eggs with a dioxin content that exceeds the EU standard. The hens’ intake of dioxins from various sources leads to an increase in the d...

a 3*2*2 factorial experiment was conducted to study the effect of feeding whole wheat (0, 10, and 20%), a microbial enzyme source (arabino-xylanase based enzyme for wheat at 0% and 0.1%) and 0% or 1% insoluble grit (number 3 layer size) on the performance of white leghorn hens at 19 to 54 weeks of age. each dietary treatment was replicated four times with ten hens, housed two to a cage, eac...

heat stress is an effective factor on immune responses, body weight, egg production and egg quality of chickens. the major effect of heat stress is due to decreased food intake and alteration in acid-base balance. during the recent years, efforts to improve laying performance at high temperatures have been relatively successful. supplementation of the diet or drinking water with special nutrien...

this study was conducted to compare the effect of various commercial in-feed disinfectants on layer performance, intestinal microflora, and egg cholesterol. one hundred and eight layer hens (lsl, 24 wks of age) were divided into six groups consisting: control, formaycin-200 ppm, formalin-200 ppm, and nanosilver in feed-15 ppm or drinking water-7.5 ppm. there were no differences between experime...