The Effects of Dietary Vitamin C, Protein, Strain and Age on Egg Quality, Production and Serum and Albumen Protein of Chickens

The influence of feeding supplemental vitamin C was determined on dietary protein level and upon protein patterns of serum and egg albumen and on egg quality from hens of different ages and strains. One-year-old Single Comb White Leghorn (S.C.W.L.) strain A hens were randomly assigned to either a 15% protein basal layer ration with or without a 3300 p.p.m. vitamin C supplement. Two-, four- and seven-year-old S.C.W.L. strain A hens and two-year old S.C.W.L. strain B hens were assigned to either a 15% or an 18% protein diet with or without supplementation of 1322 p.p.m. vitamin C. Egg production was significantly (P Shell thickness was significantly (P