| An experiment with Leghorn laying hens was undertaken to determine the effect of oyster shell particle size and feeding time on different production variables, calcium retention, plasma calcium content and egg internal and external quality. Two hundred Leghorn layers (40 weeks old old) were allocated in five dietary treatments with four replicates during ten weeks. Two particle size combinations (wherein 50% of calcium substituted by medium or coarse particles (1-2 mmand 2-4 mmrespectively) and two feeding time (8-pm or 9-am) were compared against a control diet (100% ground, <1 mmwhich fed with meal). Egg number, egg production, egg mass and feed conversion ratio did not differ among treatments (p > 0.05). Hens fed diets containing coarse Ca had... |
