Feed Restriction Studies With Layers

Limiting feed intake frequently is used to reduce the feed cost of producing eggs. Reducing the nutrient intake can be accomplished by limiting the daily feeding period, available feed or by including fiber to reduce the density of the diet. In a previous experiment in which feeders were covered at 3:00 p.m. and uncovered the following morning at 8:00 a.m., feed restriction adversely affected rate of egg production, feed conversion, egg size and the feed cost of producing eggs. The effects were more severe on the low energy low protein diets