• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.3_spc
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• pp.457-462
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• 2021

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Enteromorpha powder supplementation on reproduction-related hormones and genes in the late laying period of Zi geese. Methods: A total of 312 (1-year-old) Zi geese with similar laying rate were randomly divided into 2 groups with 6 replicates each, each with 21 female geese and 5 male geese. The control group was fed with a basal diet and the test group was fed with a diet containing 3% Enteromorpha powder. The trial period lasted for 7 weeks. Results: Our results showed that the laying rate was improved in the test group at each week of trial (p<0.01), and the levels of estradiol in serum and prolactin in ovary were increased compared with the control group (p<0.05). Conclusion: Based on above results, Enteromorpha powder supplementation at 3% could promote reproductive performance during the late laying period of Zi geese.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.237-245
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• 2020

This study investigated the effects of breed, laying age, and egg storage period on hatching performance. Eggs were collected from early laying period (27 to 29 weeks old) and late laying period (50 to 52 weeks old) in Hwanggalsaek Jaeraejong, Korean Rhode Island Red, and Korean White Leghorn chicken breeds. Eggs laid for each period were stored for 3, 7 and 14 days and then hatched. Fertility, hatchability, and embryonic mortality were observed to determine the hatching performance. The results showed that hatching performance was affected by breed, laying age, and egg storage period with independently or interactively. The Korean Rhode Island Red breed had the lowest hatching performance. Hatchability and early embryonic mortality rate increased in early laying period eggs compared to the late laying period, but the late embryonic mortality rate increased in late laying period eggs. Additionally, hatching performance decreased as the egg storage period increased. Using breed-specific hatching management techniques, avoiding late laying period eggs, and shortening the egg storage period to seven days after laying may improve the hatching performance.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2021

We investigated the effects of breed, laying age, and egg storage period on the vitality of chicks using the Hwanggalsaek Jaeraejong, Korean Rhode Island Red, and Korean White Leghorn chicken breeds. Their eggs were collected during the early laying period (27~29 weeks) and late laying period (50~52 weeks) and were stored for 3 days, 7 days and 14 days. After the eggs hatched, the hatching time, production performance, and organ weight of chicks were investigated. IL-6 gene expression level and relative length of telomeres were analyzed to determine the physiological activity of the chicks. HSP gene expression level and heterophil to lymphocytes ratio were also analyzed to examine the degree of stress response in the chicks. The results showed that breed and laying age influenced the vitality of chicks, but the egg storage period did not. Korean Leghorn chicks were considered the weakest breed in terms of vitality owing to their low survival rate, small heart size, low physiological activity, and high stress response level. Although the survival rate of chicks produced in the early laying period was low, their high physiological activity and low stress response indicated that they had a high vitality than the chicks produced in the late laying period. In conclusion, to obtain chicks with high vitality, it would be desirable to select a high vitality breed and avoid the use of chicks produced in the late laying period.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.831-837
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• 2013

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of Rhodobacter capsulatus KCTC-2583 on egg-yolk and serum cholesterol, egg production and quality parameters during the late laying periods in hens. A total of 160 Hy-Line Brown layers (54 wk-old) were randomly allotted to 4 treatment groups on the basis of laying performance. Each treatment had 4 replicates with 10 birds each (40 birds per treatment). Two hens were confined individually with cage size $35{\times}35{\times}40$ cm and each 10 birds (5 cages) shared a common feed trough between them forming one experimental unit. Dietary treatments were; basal diet supplemented with 0 (control), 0.05, 0.10 and 0.15% R. capsulatus KCTC-2583. Experimental diets were fed in meal form for 56 d. Dietary supplementation of increasing levels of R. capsulatus KCTC-2583 reduced (linear, p<0.05) egg-yolk cholesterol and triglycerides (d 28, 42 and 56) concentrations. Also, serum cholesterol and triglycerides (d 21, 42 and 56) concentrations were linearly reduced (p<0.05) with increasing dietary R. capsulatus KCTC-2583. Laying hens fed a diet supplemented with increasing levels of R. capsulatus KCTC-2583 had increased (linear; p<0.05) overall egg production, egg weight, egg mass and feed efficiency. However, dietary treatments had no effect (linear or quadratic; p>0.05) on feed intake of laying hens. At d 28 and 56, breaking strength and yolk colour of eggs were linearly improved (p<0.05) in laying hens fed dietary increasing levels of R. capsulatus KCTC-2583. Dietary treatment had no effects (linear or quadratic; p>0.05) on albumin height, shell thickness and shell weight at any period of experiment. These results indicate that dietary supplementation of R. capsulatus KCTC-2583 has the potential to improve the laying hen performance and lead to the development of low cholesterol eggs during late laying period in Hy-Line Brown hens.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 2023

This study was to investigate the relationship between chick weight in the growing period and the laying performance of Korean native chicken (KNC) breeders. We measured the body weights of 1,384 KNC breeders at 1-140 days of age at two-week intervals. The age at first egg laying, hen-day and hen-housed egg production, and the egg weights were investigated. Correlation coefficients between the body weight and egg production traits were analyzed. The results showed that the correlation coefficients between body weight and age at first egg laying were significantly positive before 4 weeks, but negative after 8 weeks of age. The correlation coefficients between body weight and egg production rate were estimated to be negative before 8 weeks and positive after 12 weeks of age. Coefficients of hen-day and hen-housed egg production were similar. There was little correlation between body weight and egg weight at 32 weeks of age, whereas a low positive correlation was with egg weight at 50 weeks. In conclusion, there was little correlation between body weight and laying performance before 8 weeks of age, whereas a significant positive correlation was with body weight after 12 weeks. The results suggest that as the chick's weight increases in the late growing stage, sexual maturity is faster, the egg production rate is higher, and the egg weight increases. Therefore, the weight management of KNC female breeders is very important in the late growing stage, and the body weight of chicks must be maintained above the standard weight.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.1744-1751
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• 2022

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the effect of xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) administration on egg production, reproductive hormones, serum lipids and adipokines of hens at the late cycle of reproduction. Methods: Four treatments included control (basal diet) and XOS addition at 2.0 (XOS-2), 4.0 (XOS-4), or 6.0 (XOS-6) g/kg of diet using 288 commercial Hy-Line brown hens from 73 to 84 wk of age. Egg production, body fat deposition, reproductive tract and hormones, lipid metabolism and adipokines were determined. Results: At 84 wk, compared to the control, XOS supplementation at the three doses increased (p<0.001) egg-laying rates by 13.2% averagely, which led to a higher egg mass by 131 g/hen throughout the whole trial period. Abdominal fat and skinfold of XOS treatments were decreased (p<0.001) by 26.1% and 18.6%, respectively; large follicles and ovary weight were increased (p<0.001) by 0.73 follicle/hen and 18.6%, respectively. For serum parameters, cholesterol and triglyceride were decreased (p<0.001) by 17.5% and 29.2%, respectively; luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and progesterone were increased (p≤0.001) by 16%, 31%, 29%, respectively; adiponectin and visfatin were increased (p<0.001) by 34% and 44%, respectively; but chemerin and leptin were decreased (p≤0.001) by 22% and 14%, respectively. With the increased XOS doses, linear decreases (p<0.05) were found on abdominal skinfold and serum triglyceride. Conclusion: The obtained data indicate that XOS can be used as an additive to improve fecundity by beneficially modulating fat deposition, lipid metabolism, reproductive hormones, and adipokines of hens at the late cycle of reproduction.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.119-124
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• 2023

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary levels of the metabolic energy (ME) on performance, egg quality, and hatchability of Woorimatdag breeder hens during late laying period. A total of eighty Woorimatdag breeder hens were individually housed in cages from 48 to 64 weeks of age. The hens were assigned to two groups with different dietary ME levels: 2,500 kcal/kg and 2,700 kcal/kg. Each group consisted of four replicates of ten birds. The results indicated that the dietary ME levels did not have a significant effect on the body weight and feed intake of the breeder hens. The egg production was significantly (P<0.05) higher in breeder hens fed 2,500 kcal/kg ME than in those fed 2,700 kcal/kg ME from 48 to 52 weeks of age. However, the egg production was shown to be similar values in both groups from 52 to 64 weeks of age. No significant differences were observed between groups with respect to egg weight, eggshell thickness, and eggshell strength of breeder's eggs. There was no difference in the fertility and hatchability between dietary groups. In conclusion, 2,500 kcal/kg of dietary ME could be considered to meet Woorimatdag breeder hens requirement sufficiently during late laying period.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.1085-1092
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• 2022

The current experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of diallel crossbreeding on the body weight and laying performance of Korean native chicken from hatch to week 40. A total of 1,000 one-day-old chicks were allotted to 10 cages per crossbreeding treatment with 10 birds per cage on a random basis and then raised until 16 weeks and subsequently moved to layer battery cages and raised until 40 weeks. Ten crossbred treatments (YC, YD, YF, YK, CD, CF, CK, DF, DK, FK) that were obtained from the diallel crossbred of five pure lines were used in the current experiment. The body weight and mortality were measured biweekly from hatching to week 20 and every four weeks from week 20 to week 40. The number of eggs was measured daily. YC and YD crossbreeds showed a higher body weight (p < 0.05) and FK crossbreed showed a lower body weight (p < 0.05) during the whole xperimental period. The week 20 weight range was 1,501 to 1,729 g and the week 40 weight range was from 1,829 to 2,179 g. Earlier onset of egg-laying was noted in the YC and YD groups whereas late onset was observed for the DF and DK groups. YK reached its peak earliest at week 25 with 89.15% while the DK crossbreed attained its peak at week 36 with 89.69%. The YC and YD crossbreeds showed the improved body and egg-laying performance. Conclusively, there are variations in the body weight and laying performance of Korean native chickens with diallel crossing.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.97-105
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• 2017

An investigation was conducted to determine the characteristics of seasonal occurrences and effective insecticides for minimizing the occurrence of Pseudaulacaspis cockerelli in sweet persimmon orchards. Most of the nymphs or female scales that mated in mid-September overwintered on twigs, matured to lay eggs in the next spring in accordance with temperature increase, and survived till mid to late May to lay all of their eggs. Males mostly died after mating by the end of September, while the males on the fallen leaves died during the hibernating period. Egg laying in P. cockerelli showed differences in accordance with the weather conditions in each year. They laid eggs from mid-April to mid- or late May, with a peak in early or mid-May. A female was estimated to lay 160 eggs; eggs hatched a week later from the peak period of egg laying. In summer, egg laying started in early or mid-July and ended in mid- or late August, with a peak in late July or early August; a female laid approximately 130 eggs in summer. The estimated egg period was 4 days. The first generation nymph that hatched from the eggs laid by the overwintered female on twigs showed 10% occurrence on twigs and 90% on leaves. The first generation nymphs on twigs mostly developed into female scales. The occurrence of the second generation nymphs reached a peak on July 27, 2009; they lived on the twigs as their overwintering site from mid- or late August. The female and male scales on leaves developed at the similar rate as the first generation nymphs up to August. The occurrence of male scales indicated that the peak occurrence of nymphs was on August 12, 2009, male scales on August 27, and adults approximately on September 14, which showed steady relationship in the sequence of development from nymphs to adult males. Among the nymphs that occurred on the leaves on August 12, 75% of them emerged into male adults, mated, and died. Buprofezine+dinotefurn (20+15) WP treatment on June 9 and 16 resulted in 90.6% control of P. cockerelli, when mortality was checked 7 weeks after treatment.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.169-176
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• 2021

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of varying levels of hydrolyzed yeast on egg production and egg quality in aged laying randomly allotted to three dietary treatments such that egg production was similar in each treatment (6 replicates of 10 birds each). The layers were fed diets containing 0, 0.1, or 0.2% hydrolyzed yeast for eight weeks. No significant difference was observed in egg production during the first half of the experiment. Egg production and daily egg mass in groups fed diets containing hydrolyzed yeast were significantly higher (P<0.05) than those of the control groups during the second half of the experiment. Egg weight was not affected by the dietary treatment. Eggshell strength and thickness in groups fed diets containing hydrolyzed yeast were significantly higher than those of the control groups during the overall experimental period (P<0.05). Although no significant differences were observed in the Haugh units, yolk color in the group fed diets containing 0.1% hydrolyzed yeast was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). The mammillary layer thickness increased in a linear manner and significantly following treatment with dietary hydrolyzed yeast (P<0.05). Antibody titer against avian influenza virus in the group fed diets containing 0.2% hydrolyzed yeast was significantly higher (P<0.05) than that in the control group. In conclusion, dietary hydrolyzed yeast improved egg production and eggshell quality of laying hens in the late stages of production.