The Response of Laying Hens to Dietary Oils and Purified Fatty Acids

THE response of laying hens to dietary oils containing linoleic acid has been studied recently by a number of researchers. Hopkins and Nesheim (1962) reported that fat deficient laying hens apparently do not need a source of dietary linoleic acid in order to maintain egg production, fertility and hatchability. However, the feeding of safflower oil as a source of linoleic acid resulted in hens laying somewhat heavier eggs. In contrast, it has been shown by Machlin and Dudley (1962), Marion and Edwards (1962 Marion and Edwards (1963) and Menge et al. (1963) that laying hens respond to dietary sources of linoleic acid by maintaining higher egg production, larger egg size and a higher rate of hatchability. Jensen et al. (1958) reported that adding corn oil to a low fat diet would increase egg size. This response was attributed to the presence of a fat soluble unidentified factor in corn oil. More recently, Jensen…