Further Studies on the Linoleic Acid Requirement of the Hen Using Purified and Practical Type Diets

Abstract MENGE (1968) reported that the Leghorn hen fed a purified diet required approximately 2% dietary linoleic acid (18:2), supplied by corn oil, for egg production and maximum egg size, and 1% for hatchability of fertile eggs. Since no direct comparisons between purified and practical type diets were made, the present study was initiated to investigate this aspect. PROCEDURE Four hundred fifty Leghorn pullets were placed in batteries and fed a practical type starter from hatch until 2 weeks of age and then a linoleic acid deficient grower diet (Calvert, 1967) from 2 weeks until 22 weeks of age. The results of previous studies (Menge et al., 1965; and Menge, 1968) have shown that this depletion period was effective in depleting the chicken of 18:2. At 22 weeks of age, the 18:2-deficient pullets were divided into 12 groups of 30 birds each on the basis of body weight and placed into…