A total of 600 Single Comb White Leghorn pullets of two commercial genotypes (300 of each) were fed soybean meal (SM) or rapeseed meal (RSM) during either or both the growing and laying periods. The RSM can replace a major portion (74%) of the SM of starter and grower diets without affecting mortality or feed consumption adversely. Differences (P<.05) were observed between the two genotypes for age at sexual maturity, body weight, egg weight, Haugh Units, and specific gravity of eggs but not for percent mortality, hen housed egg production, or feed conversion. Feeding RSM had no effect on body weight at 497 days, egg production, feed conversion, or Haugh Units but significantly (P<.05) reduced egg size at 497 days and egg specific gravity.
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HULAN et al. (1980) studied this question.
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