Effects of Boron Supplementation Fed with Low Calcium to Diet on Performance and Egg Quality in Molted Laying Hens

This study was conducted to different levels of dietary Calcium (Ca) with Boron (B) supplementation effect on performance and egg quality in molted laying hens. Two hundred and eighty, 78 weeks old, White Leghom LSL laying hens were assigned to 8 groups with 7 replicates. Experiment had a 2X4 factorial arrangement of treatments with 2 levels of Ca diet (4.0% control and 3.5% low Ca) and 4 levels of B (Borax Pentahydrate) preparation (0, 100, 200 and 300 mg kg(-1)) were used. Laying hens were fed to eight dietary treatments during the 78-90 weeks periods. The different levels of dietary Ca and B as a main factor did not significantly effect on initial body weight, final body weight, egg production, feed conversion ratio, specific gravity, egg shell weight, damaged egg and egg shell breaking strength except for egg weight, feed intake, egg mass, haugh unit and albumen index. There was no interaction effect of Ca and B levels on the parameters except for egg yolk index, egg shape index and egg shell thickness (p<0.01; p<0.05). It is concluded that molted laying hens to the diet were not added B when the laying hens consumed adequately feed and Ca.