COPPER AND IRON SUPPLEMENTATION IN THE DIETS OF LAYING HENS IN THE TROPICAL ENVIRONMENT — EFFECTS ON PRODUCTION TRAITS

Abstract

One hundred and thirty-five fifty-two-week-old hybrid layers (Hubbard Strain), were allocated to 9 dietary treatments of 15 birds each. The birds were fed, on one of 9 diets, consisting of three levels of supplemental copper: 0,200 and 400 ppm and three levels of supplemental iron: 0,100 and 200 ppm for 12 weeks. Per cent day egg production, egg grade, feed intake, efficiency of teed conversion, mortality and body weight change were measured. No significant effects of copper or iron or their interaction, were observed for any of the traits measured in the study. However, diets supplemented with 100ppm Fe/400ppm Fe/0 ppm Cu, showed slight improvements in egg production and efficiency of feed conversion over the control. The diet supplemented with 100ppm Fe/200ppm Cu also showed the most marked body weight gain. The results of this study seem to indicate that the effects of copper supplements, equivalent to those found to stimulate growth in pigs and chicks, are of little or no significance in old layers in a tropical environment. The results also showed that concurrent supplementation of copper containing diet with iron is not necessary for old layers.