Substitution of sugar for grain starch in the rations of laying hens

Abstract

Five and a half month old commercial strain laying pullets were fed on four diets containing from zero to thirty per cent raw sugar for a total of eleven months. Laying cages and deep litter housing were used in a factorial design. All sugar levels had no effect on overall egg production, feed consumption conversion, weight gain and mortality. A tendency for the production of more 55 g eggs at the expense of 60 g eggs is apparent in the results. The results confirm those from overseas that laying pullets will maintain normal levels of production for sugar levels of up to 30 per cent of their laying rations.