Abstract
Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) balance technique was used to determine energy balance in Rhode Island Red (RIR) and White Leghorn (WL) laying hens fed maize-and broken rice (BR)- based diets. Carbon and nitrogen intake and outgo were determined for three days on ad libitum fed diets followed by 2/3 of ad libitum intake for next three days. Carbon analysis was done by using four 'U' tubes in which carbon dioxide released during bomb calorimetry was absorbed on drierite in tube 1 and 2 whereas tube 3 and 4 contained sodalime self indicating granule. Carbon in $CO_2$ was determined by an open circuit respiration system. Energy retention (E, kcal) was calculated as E = 12.386 C (g) - 4.631 N (g). By regressing metabolisable energy (ME) intake on energy balance, maintenance ME requirement of RIR was 128 whereas, that of WL hens was $144kcal/kg\;W^{0.75}/d$. Effciency of utilization of ME for maintenance from BR-based diet in RIR hens was equal but in WL hens it was 11% less than maize-based diet.