Comparison of different molting methods and evaluation of the effects of postmolt diets supplemented with humate and carnitine on performance, egg quality, and profitability of laying hens

The aim of this study was to compare the applicability of the non-feed removal method with the feed withdrawal method by using alfalfa meal and barley in molting. Moreover, the effects of humate (2 g/kg), carnitine (0.1 g/kg) and humate (2 g/kg) + carnitine (0.1 g/kg) supplementation to the diets during postmolt period along with the different molting methods on production performance, egg quality, and profitability in laying hens were compared. In the study, 192 Bovans white laying hens, 75 wk old, were used. The lowest BW loss (21.08%) for the first 10 d was found in the barley + feed (B+F) method. The earliest onset of egg production was observed in B+F method which is followed by alfalfa meal + feed (A+F) and feed withdrawal + barley + feed (FW+B+F) groups. In the postmolt period, heavier eggs were obtained from the B+F and A+F method groups. Egg specific gravity was found to be higher in the groups molted by the A+F and B+F methods. Feed efficiency, egg shell thickness, and Haugh unit were unchanged in the A+F and B+F methods compared with the FW+B+F method. In the postmolt period, supplementation of humate to diet increased the egg weight; supplementation of carnitine increased the egg shell thickness and Haugh unit. Consequently, the use of molting methods without fasting (A+F and B+F) could be an alternative to conventional molting methods without causing any economic losses.