Dietary protein, energy and volume in pullet grower diets as related to growing and laying performance

A LITERATURE review summarizing available research data on restricted feeding programs for replacement pullets has been made by Wolf (1965). The data which have been obtained are often inconsistent and contradictory. A more basic approach needs to be made in studying the nutrient intake requirements of replacement pullets in which consideration is given to food intake and the factors which control food intake. The individual physiological mechanisms through which food intake is regulated and controlled have been summarized in a review paper by Anand (1961). The basic findings from this area of research (insofar as they involve dietary protein, dietary energy, dietary volume, and dietary weight) have been applied in the feeding trial with replacement pullets which is reported in this paper. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE General Design. The experimental design and the treatments imposed in this experiment are outlined in Table 1. The entire experiment covered a span of 64 weeks…