Methods of Delaying Sexual Maturity of Pullets

FULLER et al. (1969) demonstrated that restricting energy intake of growing pullets was an effective means of delaying sexual maturity and of reducing carcass fat content. Both of these phenomena resulted in the production of more total and settable eggs, but delay of maturity seemed to have the more profound influence. Obesity appeared to have only slight influence on egg production and egg size when it could be properly separated from age at maturity; however, mortality during very hot weather did appear to be more severe in birds that had the highest carcass fat content at maturity (Fuller et al., 1970). The poultry industry would welcome a simple method for delaying maturity and reducing obesity that would not require daily weighing of feed allotment or arbitrary decisions about appropriate rationing of feed. Several such methods have been shown to be more or less successful, including the use of high fiber…