The Effect of Restricted Caloric Intake Upon the Egg Weight Response to Dietary Corn Oil

THE effect of dietary fats and fatty acids upon the egg weight of chickens has been extensively investigated in recent years. Workers at the Washington State Experiment Station have concluded that the response is primarily attributable to the linoleic acid content of the supplemental fat (Shutze and Jensen, 1963). However, Menge et al. (1965a) observed different egg weight responses from pullets fed diets supplemented with safflower and menhaden oils at the same linoleic acid intakes. Menge et al. (1965b) among others have found that pullets reared on diets containing no unsaturated fatty acids produce eggs devoid of linoleic acid. Marion and Edwards (1962) demonstrated that the addition of 10 percent corn oil to the diet of young laying pullets increased egg weight, but had no effect upon the percent of lipid or dry matter in eggs. The data of Harms and Waldroup (1963) indicate a positive relationship between the trends …