Feeding & Nutrition

Precision formulation of diets for laying hens can lead to significant cost savings to farmers through improved feed efficiency and better quality eggs. Investment in R&D will enable the development of practical nutritional management strategies which can be applied at a production system level to improve flock feed efficiency and egg quality.

The security of feed grains at economically viable prices is also important to egg business and will be pursued through cross-sector research collaboration. The outcomes of this investment will be to improve egg quality and reduce costs to egg businesses.

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Recent Research

• Separate feeding of calcium for poultry

  26 August 2019 C.J. O’Shea, S. Liu, S. Wilkinson, Y. Akter, H.H. Truong, Y. Bao, E. Bradbury, and A. Cowieson University of Sydney, University of Nottingham 8th Oct 2012 - 1st Feb 2016

  This series of studies investigated the presence and extent of an ‘appetite’ for an extra-dietary source of Ca in laying hens and established the optimum Ca and P concentrations and ratios of dietary Ca for optimum egg production and nutrient digestibility.

• Pullet and layer flock uniformity: an epidemiological industry-based approach to improve feed effici

  16 December 2015 G. Parkinson, J.R Roberts and R. Horn AECL, University of New England, University of Adelaide 31st Oct 2011 - 16th Dec 2015

  Benchmarking of flock uniformity and performance regarding persistency and longevity of lay achieved

• Available phosphorus requirement of laying hens

  1 July 2015 X. Li, W.L. Bryden and D. Zhang University of Queensland 1st Jul 2012 - 1st Jul 2015

  Two experiments were conducted to determine the available phosphorus (AP) requirement of laying hens and to examine the effect of different dietary AP and calcium (Ca) concentrations on egg production and egg shell quality from the start of lay to 80 weeks of age.

• Reducing the use of animal by-product meals in layer diets

  1 June 2006 X. Li and W.L. Bryden University of Queensland Jun 2006

  Economic constraints and public concerns have compelled the poultry industry to increasingly use a range of cheaper, alternative plant-derived feedstuffs in feed formulations and eliminate the use of animal by-product meals.

Previous Research

• Legumes for poultry: Improvement of lupins and lathyrus for broilers and egg layers by enzyme treatm

  1 July 2005 I. Williams, A. Ali and S. Sipsas University of Western Australia 1st Jul 2002 - 1st Jul 2005

  This research is aimed at making locally-produced legumes, lupins and lathyrus, acceptable substitutes for expensive imports such as soybean meal or animal-protein meals for inclusion in poultry diets.

• Energy requirements of imported layer strains

  1 July 2005 D. Singh Queensland Department of Primary Industries Jul 2005

  This study aims to determine the required energy intake of layer hen strain in terms of dietary energy concentration, feed intake, egg output, body weight and body fat content, in order to design diets that are nutrition and cost effective.

• Inflammatory response to diet in the hindgut of layers

  1 July 2005 R. Taylor University of Newcastle Jul 2005

  The aim of the  project was to investigate the effects of diet change over the short and long term in chickens, to determine whether this caused an inflammation of the hindgut tissues. .

• Elimination of "fishy" taint in eggs from hens fed diets containing canola meal

  1 June 2005 R. Perez-Maldonado and T. Treloar Poultry Research and Development Centre, Department of Primary Industries Queensland Jun 2005

  When fed canola meal, the presence of a compound called sinapine in the meal often causes hens to lay eggs with a  fishy taint.This study aims to identify the exact levels of sinapine that cause this, and to eliminate the phenomenon.

• The net energy values of the Australian feed ingredients for poultry

  1 May 2004 M. Choct The University of New England May 2004

  This publication contains data on the net energy values of some cereal grains and vegetable protein sources that are commonly used in the Australian poultry broiler and layer industries.

• Canola meal and Cottonseed meal in broiler and layer diets

  1 May 2003 R. Perez-Maldonado Queensland Department of Primary Industries May 2003

  This proposes that the Australian egg and poultry industry to incorporate canola and cottonseed meal in poultry diets.Canola and cottonseed meal is proven to be both economical and high in protein.

• Impact of sorghum ergot in layer hens

  1 May 2003 J. Dingle and B. Blaney The University of Queensland May 2003

  Though sorghum is an important component of layer hen diet, it is highly susceptible to contamination of sorghum ergot.This project aims to determine the safe practical limits for use of ergot contaminated sorghum grain in layer diets.

• Effects of commercial feed enzymes in wheat-based diets on egg and egg shell quality in imported str

  1 April 2003 J. Roberts University of New England Apr 2003

  At the time of commencement of this project, very little research had been conducted into feeding layer hens and results were not consistent among studies of the benefits of adding commercial feed enzyme preparations to the diets of laying hens.

• New grain legume for layers

  1 April 2003 C. Hanbury and B. Hughes University of Western Australia Apr 2003

  Due to evidence of paralysis in hens resulting from diets including a type of grain called Lathyrus, this study examined long term feeding trials of a new type of grain developed by the Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture (CLIMA).

• Alternative protein sources for laying hens

  1 March 2001 D. Robinson The Queensland Poultry Research and Development Ce Mar 2001

  The need to expand the protein options available to the poultry industry was the catalyst for this study.

• Total and Digestible Tryptophan Contents of Feedstuffs for Poultry

  1 January 2000 W.L. Bryden, G. Ravindran and V. Ravindran University of Sydney Jan 2000

  This report reviews the amino acid tryptophan which is an essential amino acid in the diet of Australian poultry.Reliable values of total and digestible tryptophan in feedstuffs are needed because tryptophan is often the third most limiting amino acid in poultry diets.

• Nutritional value of pearl millet as poultry feed

  1 October 1999 D. N. Singh and R. Perez-Maldonado Queensland Department of Primary Industries Oct 1999

  Due to the prediction that Australia will have to import significant quantities of feed grains which will inevitably lead to higher prices, it is essential that research be undertaken to find alternative feed sources for livestock, especially poultry, to reduce the increased cost of feeds and maintain an internationally competitive...

• The Relationship Between Calcium Nutrition, Appetite, Growth, Production and Skeletal Development in

  1 June 1999 G. Parkinson and P. Cransberg Victorian Institute of Animal Science Jun 1999

  This research report examines the relationship between body weight, feed intake, calcium nutrition, egg production and skeletal calcium content in three experiments using imported brown egg layers.

• A Comparative Study of the Nutritive Values of Triticale and Wheat for Laying Hens

  1 October 1998 R.J. Hughes University of Adelaide 1st Oct 1994 - 1st Oct 1998

  This study examines whether  wheat can be substituted by triticale, a generally cheaper cereal grain, without prejudice to performance of the flock or egg quality.

• Nutritive value of Lupins for laying hens

  1 October 1997 R.J. Hughes South Australian Research & Development Institute (SARDI) Oct 1997

  The overall aim of this research project was to provide producers and feed formulators with clear guidelines on the economics of using whole and de-hulled lupins and the need for inclusion of enzymes in layer diets containing lupins.

• Evaluation of performance of hens fed high nutrient density diets post-moult

  1 June 1997 A. Almond, P. Cransberg, R. Peacock and J. Goldsmith Victorian Institute of Animal Science Jun 1997

  This study shows that the low calcium supplementation produces sustained improvements in post-moult performance. .