Effects of restricting the amounts of medium or low?energy diets fed to laying hens in different colony sizes

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Abstract
1. Light hybrid hens between 32 and 68 weeks of age kept 4, 5 or 8 birds to the cage received one of three energy intakes, from a medium‐ or low‐energy diet. 2. Ad libitum fed birds laid more and heavier eggs than any of those restricted. A decrease in daily egg output of about 5 g was associated with each 100 kJ decrease in daily intake of metabolisable energy. 3. For the same energy intake, egg output of birds fed on the low‐energy diet was markedly greater than that associated with the medium‐energy diet. 4. The mortality of birds receiving restricted quantities of the medium‐energy diet was two to three times greater than that associated with similar rationing of the low‐energy diet.