Use of sunflower seeds in grower diets for pullets and subsequent performance as affected by aureomycin and pelleting.
In two experiments the effects of unhulled sunflower seeds (USFS) were evaluated at levels of 19 and 38% in corn-based diets for pullets between 10 and 19 wk of age. As an additional treatment a .09%-lysine monohydrochloride supplement was added to the 38% USFS-containing diet in Experiment 2. Isonitrogenous grower diets made up of corn and soybean meal or largely oats served as control diets. During the productive phase, layers were fed a high oats diet as mash (both experiments) or in pelleted form (Experiment 2). One half of the hens in each study were fed layer diets containing Aureomycin at 100 g per ton for 1 wk during each 28-day period to monitor the effect on egg production. Treatments during the laying phase were superimposed on the previous growing phase treatments. Pullets fed the 38% USFS diet in Experiment 1 were significantly lighter (P less than .01) at 19 wk of age and reached 50% egg production 2 days later than those on the control corn-soy diet. However, subsequent overall laying performance for 14 28-day periods was not significantly affected by the growing treatments. Neither growth nor laying performance was influenced by the treatments imposed during the rearing period of the second experiment. The two supplies of USFS varied considerably in crude fiber (14.6 vs 25.8%) and ether extract components (42.4 vs. 29.0%, respectively). The discrepancy in growth response to USFS of the two experiments was possibly related to the difference in the ether extract portions of the oil seeds. Egg production rate was significantly increased by Aureomycin only when the diet was pelleted.