Split-feeding as a sustainable feeding strategy for improving egg production and quality, nutrient digestibility, and environmental impact in laying hens

This study evaluated the effects of split feeding on production performance, egg quality, nutrient digestibility, odor emissions, and economic benefits in laying hens. A total of 468 Hy-Line Brown hens, aged 63 weeks, were divided into three dietary treatments over 13 weeks. The control group receiv...

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Main Authors: Hyung Suk Hwang, Chaibin Lim, Jiwon Eom, Sungbo Cho, In Ho Kim
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Poultry Science
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579125003396
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author Hyung Suk Hwang
Chaibin Lim
Jiwon Eom
Sungbo Cho
In Ho Kim
author_facet Hyung Suk Hwang
Chaibin Lim
Jiwon Eom
Sungbo Cho
In Ho Kim
author_sort Hyung Suk Hwang
collection DOAJ
description This study evaluated the effects of split feeding on production performance, egg quality, nutrient digestibility, odor emissions, and economic benefits in laying hens. A total of 468 Hy-Line Brown hens, aged 63 weeks, were divided into three dietary treatments over 13 weeks. The control group received a single basal diet, while two split-feeding groups (TRT1 and TRT2) received diets differing in nutrient composition between the morning and afternoon. TRT1 and TRT2 contained 10 % and 15 % less crude protein (CP), respectively, compared to CON. TRT1 maintained the same levels of metabolizable energy, standardized ileal digestibility amino acids, calcium, and phosphorus as CON, while TRT2 had 5 % lower metabolizable energy, standardized ileal digestibility amino acids, and calcium, and 15 % lower phosphate. Results showed that TRT1 reduced the incidence of downgraded eggs by 19.3 % in the later phase of the experiment (9–12 weeks) compared to CON (P = 0.025, 0.043, 0.022, 0.011). Both TRT1 and TRT2 reduced diet costs by 6 % and 15 %, respectively. Additionally, split feeding improved nutrient digestibility, reduced harmful gas emissions, and resulted in a 4.5 % feed cost savings per kilogram of salable egg production compared to CON. These findings suggest that split feeding (TRT1) could enhance egg quality, reduce environmental impact, and contribute to the sustainability of poultry farming
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series Poultry Science
spelling doaj-art-623c5de952074de0bcd55f50f01025042025-08-20T03:24:47ZengElsevierPoultry Science0032-57912025-06-01104610510010.1016/j.psj.2025.105100Split-feeding as a sustainable feeding strategy for improving egg production and quality, nutrient digestibility, and environmental impact in laying hensHyung Suk Hwang0Chaibin Lim1Jiwon Eom2Sungbo Cho3In Ho Kim4Department of Animal Biotechnology, Dankook University, Cheonan, 31116, Republic of Korea; Smart Animal Bio Institute, Dankook University, Cheonan, 31116, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Animal Biotechnology, Dankook University, Cheonan, 31116, Republic of Korea; Smart Animal Bio Institute, Dankook University, Cheonan, 31116, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Animal Biotechnology, Dankook University, Cheonan, 31116, Republic of Korea; Smart Animal Bio Institute, Dankook University, Cheonan, 31116, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Animal Biotechnology, Dankook University, Cheonan, 31116, Republic of Korea; Smart Animal Bio Institute, Dankook University, Cheonan, 31116, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Animal Biotechnology, Dankook University, Cheonan, 31116, Republic of Korea; Smart Animal Bio Institute, Dankook University, Cheonan, 31116, Republic of Korea; Corresponding author at: Department of Animal Biotechnology, Dankook University, Cheonan, 31116, Republic of Korea.This study evaluated the effects of split feeding on production performance, egg quality, nutrient digestibility, odor emissions, and economic benefits in laying hens. A total of 468 Hy-Line Brown hens, aged 63 weeks, were divided into three dietary treatments over 13 weeks. The control group received a single basal diet, while two split-feeding groups (TRT1 and TRT2) received diets differing in nutrient composition between the morning and afternoon. TRT1 and TRT2 contained 10 % and 15 % less crude protein (CP), respectively, compared to CON. TRT1 maintained the same levels of metabolizable energy, standardized ileal digestibility amino acids, calcium, and phosphorus as CON, while TRT2 had 5 % lower metabolizable energy, standardized ileal digestibility amino acids, and calcium, and 15 % lower phosphate. Results showed that TRT1 reduced the incidence of downgraded eggs by 19.3 % in the later phase of the experiment (9–12 weeks) compared to CON (P = 0.025, 0.043, 0.022, 0.011). Both TRT1 and TRT2 reduced diet costs by 6 % and 15 %, respectively. Additionally, split feeding improved nutrient digestibility, reduced harmful gas emissions, and resulted in a 4.5 % feed cost savings per kilogram of salable egg production compared to CON. These findings suggest that split feeding (TRT1) could enhance egg quality, reduce environmental impact, and contribute to the sustainability of poultry farminghttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579125003396LayerEgg qualitySplit feedingCalcium availability
spellingShingle Hyung Suk Hwang
Chaibin Lim
Jiwon Eom
Sungbo Cho
In Ho Kim
Split-feeding as a sustainable feeding strategy for improving egg production and quality, nutrient digestibility, and environmental impact in laying hens
Poultry Science
Layer
Egg quality
Split feeding
Calcium availability
title Split-feeding as a sustainable feeding strategy for improving egg production and quality, nutrient digestibility, and environmental impact in laying hens
title_full Split-feeding as a sustainable feeding strategy for improving egg production and quality, nutrient digestibility, and environmental impact in laying hens
title_fullStr Split-feeding as a sustainable feeding strategy for improving egg production and quality, nutrient digestibility, and environmental impact in laying hens
title_full_unstemmed Split-feeding as a sustainable feeding strategy for improving egg production and quality, nutrient digestibility, and environmental impact in laying hens
title_short Split-feeding as a sustainable feeding strategy for improving egg production and quality, nutrient digestibility, and environmental impact in laying hens
title_sort split feeding as a sustainable feeding strategy for improving egg production and quality nutrient digestibility and environmental impact in laying hens
topic Layer
Egg quality
Split feeding
Calcium availability
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579125003396
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AT jiwoneom splitfeedingasasustainablefeedingstrategyforimprovingeggproductionandqualitynutrientdigestibilityandenvironmentalimpactinlayinghens
AT sungbocho splitfeedingasasustainablefeedingstrategyforimprovingeggproductionandqualitynutrientdigestibilityandenvironmentalimpactinlayinghens
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