The effects on rearing and subsequent laying performance of rearer diets containing two levels of protein and dried poultry manure or urea

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Abstract
Light-hybrid pullets (672) aged 6 wk were allocated to 8 experimental treatments and cage-reared to 18 wk of age when they were transferred to single-bird battery cages and fed a common layer diet. In the 6-12 wk period 4 dietary treatments were applied: a diet containing about 160 g crude protein (CP)/kg with or without 50 g dried poultry manure(DPM)/kg (diets 2 and 1, respectively) and a diet containing about 140 g CP/kg with or without 50 g DPM/kg (diets 4 and 3). In the 12-18 wk period 2 additional diets were fed: diets 1 and 3 supplemented with 10 g urea/kg (diets 5 and 6, respectively). Diets containing DPM were formulated to utilize the CP, energy, Ca and 50% of the P content of DPM. Pullets fed on diets 1, 2 and 5 (high-protein) were significantly heavier at 18 wk than those fed on diets 3, 4 and 6 (low-protein). In the laying period total estimated egg weight, food intake and conversion were significantly greater, and the age at 1st egg was significantly less (2.4 days). Dietary DPM had no significant effect on the 18 wk body weight but food consumption was significantly less and conversion was significantly improved. There were no significant effects on subsequent laying performance. Dietary urea caused no significant effects on rearing or laying performance.