Effects of an induced molt using cassava meal on body weight loss, blood

physiology, ovarian regression, and postmolt egg production in late-phase

laying hens

N. Gongruttananun,1 P. Kochagate, K. Poonpan, N. Yu-nun, J. Aungsakul, and N. Sopa

Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand 10900

ABSTRACT This study was conducted to determine
the effect of an induced molt using cassava meal on
body weight, blood physiology, ovary, and postmolt
performance in late-phase (74 wk old) H&N Brown
laying hens. Hens were randomly assigned to 3 treat-
ments of 90 birds each: 1) Controls withno induced molt
(CONT); 2) molted by full feeding with cassava meal for
3 wk (FP3 ); and 3) molted by full feeding with cassava
meal for 4 wk (FP4 ). Groups 2 and 3 were fed a pullet
developer diet for 3 wk following treatment. During the
molt period, the birds were exposed to an 8L:16D pho-
toperiod and had access to drinking water at all times.
Thereafter, all hens were fed a layer diet (17%CP), and
exposed to a 16L:8D photoperiod, and production per-
formance was measured for 16 wk. The molt treatments
resulted in total cessation of egg production within 2 wk
following feeding the molt diet. BW loss of birds in the
FP4 treatment was approximately 30.13%, which was
significantly higher than those in the FP3 treatment
Key words: molt, cassava, estradiol, ovary, eggshell quality
(25.23%). At the termination of feeding the molt diet,
an increase in hematocrit values was observed for the
FP3 and FP4 treatments compared to the CONT treat-
ment. Conversely, lower values of serum estradiol, pro-
gesterone, ionized Ca and phosphorus concentrations
were found for the 2 molted treatments. Ovary weight,
number of follicles, and oviduct weight and length of the
FP3 and FP4 treatments were diminished as compared
to the CONT treatment. No consistent differences were
observed between the molted treatments. Significant
(P < 0.05) improvements in postmolt feed efficiency,
egg production, Haugh units, shell weight, shell thick-
ness, shell breaking strength, and mortality rate were
observed for the FP4 treatment. An improvement in
those performances, except for feed efficiency and egg
production, was also found for the FP3 treatment. It
was concluded that feeding the cassava molt diet for
4 wk could induce molt in laying hens effectively, and
produce optimum postmolt productive performance.
2017 Poultry Science 96:1925–1933
http://dx.doi.org/10.3382/ps/pew457

INTRODUCTION quality was generally achieved (Lee, 1982; Christmas et

Induced molt of laying hens is used by commercial
egg producers to extend the productive period of their
flock. Typical molt programs involve a restriction of the
photoperiod to the natural day length or less (Hambree
et al., 1980) and removal of feed (Christmas et al.,
1985) and maybe drinking water (Brake and Thaxton,
1982). However, the conventional method of inducing
molt has drawn criticism due to animal welfare and
food safety concerns. Various induced molt techniques
that do not use fasting have been suggested. These al-
ternative methods use dietary manipulations to create
an imbalance of nutrients (Biggs et al., 2003; Mejia et
al., 2011; Gongruttananun et al., 2013; Bozkurt et al.,
2016). With the various techniques, an improvement in
postmolt egg production, albumen quality, and eggshell

C 2017 Poultry Science Association Inc.
al., 1985; Tona et al., 2002). However, the degree of im-
provement with each technique was variable.
Brake and Thaxton (1979) have postulated that the
rejuvenation that occurred as a result of an induced
molting was related to ovarian and oviducal regres-
sion during the molt. These investigators also reported
that gonadal regression could be achieved completely if
hens lost their body weight by at least approximately
25% during induced molts. Baker et al. (1983) reported
that improvements in postmolt performance were re-
lated with an increase in BW loss of hens up to 31%
of their original BW. The workers also suggested that
hens that lost the greatest amount of body weight ex-
hibited the greatest improvements in eggshell quality
and highest egg production in the subsequent laying
cycle.
Hoshino et al. (1988) reported decreased blood
luteinizing hormone, estradiol, and progesterone con-

Received October 10, 2016.

centrations in laying hens during an induced molt by
Accepted December 1, 2016. fasting, and observed that the decline was coincident
1
Corresponding author: agrnig@ku.ac.th with the cessation of egg production. As reviewed by
1925
1926 GONGRUTTANANUN ET AL.
Berry (2003), loss of gonadotropins in laying hens dur-
ing fasting causes regression of the ovary. Ovarian fol-
licles in the maturational hierarchy become atretic and
yolk material is reabsorbed. Therefore, the ovary weight
decreases as the follicles atrophy. Reduction in ovary
weight is dependent on the duration of fasting and the
rate of BW loss. The ovary is fully regressed when BW
loss is greater than 25% (Brake and McDaniel, 1981;
Brake et al., 1981).
Recently, we reported that feeding aged laying hens
with cassava meal for 2 wk resulted in BW loss
of 21.9%, ovarian and oviducal regression, and total
cessation of egg production during the molt period
(Gongruttananun et al., 2013). However, postmolt pro-
ductive performance was not improved, except for
albumen quality and mortality rate. Thus, it was
hypothesized that an increase in the duration of feed-
ing the cassava molt diet may cause a greater degree
of BW loss and gonadal regression, which could result
in improved postmolt performance. An ideal induced
molting method should be simple to apply, be low in
cost, result in low mortality, and lead to high subse-
quent productive performance. Cassava (Manihot es-
culenta) is a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae fam-
ily, native to South America. It has been grown exten-
sively as an important economic root crop, and used
as an alternative to animal feedstuffs to reduce feed
costs in Southeast Asia, tropical Africa, and Central
America (Chauynarong et al., 2009). However, the lim-
itation of using cassava as a poultry ration is that
fresh cassava roots contain cyanogenic-glycoside, which
is hydrolyzed to be hydrocyanic acid (prussic acid)
when the root is cut into small pieces. The hydro-
cyanic acid depresses poultry performance and feed in-
take due to palatability problems (Vogt, 1966). Dry
whole cassava meal can be used as a feedstuff in poul-
try if the hydrocyanic acid is below 100 ppm (Dalange
and Ahluwalia, 1983). The purpose of this study was
to determine the effect of using cassava meal as a
molt diet for a variable-length period of feeding on
BW loss, blood physiology, gonadal characteristic, and
postmolt productive performance in late-phase laying
hens.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Experimental Design and Molt Procedure
All animal care procedures were approved by the An-
imal Ethics Committee of Kasetsart University. Two
hundred and seventy H&N Brown late-phase laying
hens (72 wk old) of similar BW (1,875 ± 20 g) were
housed in a caged layer shed, with water and feed pro-
vided for ad libitum consumption and a 16-h daily pho-
toperiod before the beginning of the experiment. The
mean temperature of the house was 27.6 ± 1.2◦ C, and
the average light intensity was 4.7 ± 0.8 lx. The feed
was a commercial layer diet calculated to contain 17%
CP, 2,800 kcal of ME/kg of feed, and 3.5% Ca. Five
replicate groups of 18 hens each (6 adjacent cages con-
taining 3 hens/cage, 40 × 45 cm) were allotted to 3
treatments in a completely randomized design. Birds
were weighed and allocated to each replicate to achieve
a similar mean BW for each treatment. Egg production,
egg weight, and egg quality were measured for 2 wk (72
to 73 wk of age) before the start of the treatments, in
an attempt to keep a similar distribution of production
rate, egg weight, and egg quality among the treatments.
The 3 treatments were designated as follows: nonmolted
control treatment (CONT), which was provided with
the layer diet and exposed to the 16L:8D photoperiod
throughout the study; the other 2 treatments were in-
duced to molt by full feeding with a cassava molt diet
for 3 (FP3 ) or 4 (FP4 ) weeks according to the following
procedure.
At 74 wk of age, the FP3 and FP4 treatments
were moved carefully into a windowless molting house
equipped with mechanical ventilation. The mean tem-
perature of the house was 28.03 ± 1.31◦ C, and the mean
light intensity was 15.4 ± 1.8 lx. Birds in each repli-
cate of the molted treatments were housed together in
one of the ten pens located in the molting house. Each
pen was 2.9 × 3.0 × 2.9 m (width × length × height).
The induced molt period was divided into a 3-, or 4-wk
“stress period” and a 3-wk “recovery period”. Birds in
the FP3 and FP4 treatments had the stress period of
3 and 4 wk, respectively, during which they were pro-
vided with the cassava molt diet and drinking water
at all times. At the end of each stress period, the FP3
and FP4 birds were weighed and body weight loss was
calculated. Then, birds in all molted treatments had a
recovery period of 3 wk, during which they were fed
on a pullet developer diet and provided with drinking
water at all times. At the end of each recovery period,
the birds were weighed and carefully moved to their
original house, where the CONT birds were being kept,
and maintained under the same management regime
throughout the experimental period. In addition, birds
in the control treatment were weighed at 76 and 79 wk
of age. Feed consumption, egg production, and mortal-
ity rate were recorded during the molt period. During
the molt period, the photoperiod was 8 h per d (8L:16D)
instead of the usual 16 h per d. The molting protocol
is shown in Table 1. The ingredient composition and
nutrient analyses of the experimental diets are given in
Table 2.
The preparation of the cassava molt diet was pro-
cessed as follows: the fresh cassava roots were peeled,
washed, chipped into small pieces, and sun-dried on
a concrete floor for 6 d at a 32.8◦ C average temper-
ature; thereafter, the dried cassava chips were ground
in a hammer mill into powdered cassava root meal. A
sample of the cassava meal was taken to analyze for
the content of the hydrocyanic acid according to the
method of O’ Brien et al. (1991). The average content of
the hydrocyanic acid was 51.68 ± 0.67 mg/kg wet basis.
 EFFECTS OF CASSAVA-INDUCED MOLT IN LAYERS 1927
Table 1. The molting procedure used in the experiment.

Treatment1 Treatment type Drinking water

CONT Control (hens not induced to molt, consuming ad libitum on a layer diet under a lighting Provided
program of 16L:8D throughout the experimental period)
FP3 Cassava meal offered for 3 wk (74 to 76 wk of age) and a pullet developer diet offered for 3 wk Provided
(77 to 79 wk of age) under a lighting program of 8L:16D, then returned to a layer diet and a
lighting program of 16L:8D
FP4 Cassava meal offered for 4 wk (74 to 77 wk of age) and a pullet developer diet offered for 3 wk Provided
(78 to 80 wk of age), under a lighting program of 8L:16D, then returned to a layer diet and a
lighting program of 16L:8D
1
CONT = nonmolted control; FP3 = induced molt with cassava meal for 3 wk and had a recovery period of 3 wk; FP4 =
induced molt with cassava meal for 4 wk and had a recovery period of 3 wk.

Table 2. Composition of experimental diets.

Item Cassava molt (%) Pullet developer diet (%) Layer diet (%)

Ingredient
Corn − 49.03 59.10
Corn germ meal − 10.00 −
Dehulled soybean meal − 15.00 22.69
Wheat bran (15%) − 11.16 −
Rice bran extract − 7.00 7.19
Leucaena leaf meal − 1.42 −
Fish meal (59%) − 1.00 −
Oil − 0.50 0.26
Tapioca 96.62 − −
Calcium carbonate 1.60 2.43 8.13
Monodicalcium phosphate (22%) 1.38 1.30 1.60
Salt − 0.38 0.31
DL-methionine − 0.19 0.20
Threonine − 0.09 −
Choline chloride (60%) − 0.11 0.12
Vitamin mineral premix1 0.40 0.40 0.40
Total 100.00 100.00 100.00
Calculated analysis
ME (kcal/kg) 2,909.33 2,900.00 2,800.00
CP (%) 2.43 16.00 17.00
Calcium (%) 1.14 1.30 3.50
Available phosphorus (%) 0.32 0.46 0.45
Fiber (%) 5.16 4.50 3.00
1
Provided the following (per kg of diet): vitamin A, 20,000 IU; vitamin D3 , 4,800 IU; vitamin E, 16
IU; vitamin K3 , 2.4 mg; vitamin B1 , 32 mg; vitamin B2 , 8 mg; vitamin B6 , 4.8 mg; vitamin B12 , 0.01 mg;
pantothenic acid, 15.04 mg; nicotinic acid, 20 mg; folic acid, 0.8 mg; biotin, 0.144 mg; selenium, 0.16 mg;
copper, 16 mg; manganese, 96 mg; iron, 64 mg; zinc, 80 mg; cobalt, 0.32 mg; and iodine, 3.2 mg.

Blood Physiology and Ovarian terone concentrations were measured by chemilumines-

Characteristics
Blood samples (5 mL) were obtained from the
brachial vein of 2 hens from each replicate at the ter-
mination of the stress period. The time of bleeding was
between 0800 and 0900 h. Hematocrit value was deter-
mined using heparinized microcapillary tubes by cen-
trifuging in a Hettich Microliter centrifuge (Hettich,
Tuttlingen, D-78532 Germany) for 5 min at 21,382
× g at 25◦ C (Campbell, 1995). Next, the remain-
ing blood was centrifuged for 15 min at 1,096 ×
g at 25◦ C. Serum ionized Ca was measured imme-
diately on a CyberScan pH 5500/5000 instrument
(Eutech Instrument Pte Ltd., Ayer Rajah Crescent,
Singapore). Inorganic phosphate was determined by
using a colorimetric method on a Cobas Integra
Model 400/700/800 instrument (Roche Diagnostics
Corporation, Indianapolis, IN). Estradiol and proges-
cent microparticle immunoassay on an ARCHITECT
Estradiol Model I 2000SR and an ARCHITE CT
Progesterone Model B 7K770, respectively (Abbott
Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL). The analytical sensi-
tivity of the assay for the concentration of estradiol
was ≤10 pg/mL, whereas that of progesterone was
≤0.1 ng/mL. For the measurement of estradiol con-
centrations, the intraassay CV was 4.1%, whereas the
interassay CV was 7.2%. For the measurement of pro-
gesterone concentrations, the intraassay CV was 3.6%,
whereas the interassay CV was 5.5%.
On the day of blood sampling, one bird from
each replicate was killed by decapitation for observa-
tion of gonadal appearances. The ovary and oviduct
were removed and measured for weight and length.
Ovarian follicles were classified into 3 groups and
counted according to the method of Waddington
et al. (1985).
1928 GONGRUTTANANUN ET AL.
Table 3. Effect of nonmolted and molted treatments on BW, feed intake, and mortality rate during the induced molting
period.1

During the stress period During the recovery period Mortality

Initial BW Final BW2 BW loss Feed consumption Final BW3 Feed consumption rate4
Item (g) (g) (%) (g/hen per d) (g) (g/hen per d) (%)

Treatment5
CONT 1874 1868 0.32 125.41 1879 118.37 2.22
FP3 1856 1388 25.23b 77.28 1781 86.89 2.22
FP4 1895 1324 30.13a 87.41 1774 93.62 3.33
Pooled SEM 59 46 1.44 15.54 54 7.77 4.11
P-value 0.61 0.05 0.001 0.39 0.84 0.26 0.68
a,b
Means within a column with no common superscripts differ significantly (P < 0.05). The statistical comparisons were made among
the 2 molt treatments, excluding the control treatment.
1
Data are means of 5 groups of 18 hens each.
2
At the end of the stress period.
3
At the end of the recovery period.
4
Throughout the molting program.
5
CONT = nonmolted control; FP3 = induced molt with cassava meal for 3 wk and had a recovery period of 3 wk; FP4 = induced
molt with cassava meal for 4 wk and had a recovery period of 3 wk.

Postmolt Productive Performance
and Egg Quality
Egg production was recorded daily throughout the
16 wk of the postmolt period for the FP3 treatment
(80 to 95 wk of age) and 15 wk for the FP4 treatment
(81 to 95 wk of age). Eggs from each replicate laid on 3
consecutive days in each week were weighed, and an av-
erage was calculated for each replicate. Egg and eggshell
quality were measured on all eggs collected from each
replicate on the last day of week at the early (83 wk
of age), middle (89 wk of age), and late (95 wk of age)
phases of the postmolt period. Eggshell strength was
measured using an Eggshell Destruction Strength Me-
ter (Model EFG-0503 Robotmation, Co., Ltd., Tokyo,
Japan). Thereafter, the eggs were broken at the equa-
torial region, and the interior contents were allowed to
drain out. The internal quality of eggs was assessed ac-
cording to albumen height using specialized equipment
(Technical Services and Supplies Ltd., York, UK), and
Haugh units were calculated. The yolk weight was de-
termined after it was separated from the adhering al-
bumen and then weighed on an electric balance (Model
PB 1501, Metler, Toledo, OH). The eggshell, along with
the membranes, was washed with tap water and dried at
room temperature for 1 wk. After drying, the eggshell
was weighed and the shell thickness was measured using
a digimatic micrometer (Mitutoyo Corporation, Kana-
gawa, Japan) in millimeters. Three measurements were
taken on the equatorial region on each eggshell, and
the mean of 3 measurements was calculated. The al-
bumen weight was determined by subtracting the yolk
plus shell weight from the total egg weight. Feed intake
data were determined on a biweekly basis during the
postmolt period. Mortality rate was recorded through-
out the postmolt period.
Statistical Analysis
The experiment was conducted as a completely ran-
domized design with 3 treatments. Data were ana-
lyzed using the statistical software package SAS, ver-
sion 9.0 (SAS Institute Inc., 2002). The GLM proce-
dure was used to analyze the effects of the treatment
on BW, feed intake, mortality rate, egg production, egg
and eggshell quality, blood physiological parameters,
and gonadal characteristics. An arcsine transformation
was used for all percentage data. Duncan’s multiple
range test was used to estimate significant differences
among treatment means. Significance was based on P
< 0.05. The experimental unit was each group of 18
hens for all traits studied. For the determination of go-
nadal characteristics, only 1 hen per replicate was used.
Results in the tables were presented as means and the
pooled SEM.
RESULTS
BW Loss and Mortality Rate
The effects of molt treatments on BW, feed intake,
and mortality rate are presented in Table 3. At the
end of feeding the cassava molt diet, the FP4 hens lost
30.13% of their original body weight, which was signif-
icantly greater than that of the FP3 hens (25.23%) (P
= 0.001). There were no significant differences in feed
consumption between the molted treatments during ei-
ther the stress or the recovery periods. At the end of the
recovery period, the FP3 hens had a comparable level
of body weight to the FP4 hens. No significant differ-
ences were observed for mortality rate between the 2
molted treatments. The mortality rate of birds in all
treatments was low, ranging from 2.22 to 3.33%.
Blood Physiology and Ovarian Regression
Table 4 demonstrates the effects of molted treat-
ments on hematocrit and concentrations of serum estra-
diol, progesterone, ionized calcium, and phosphorus at
the termination of feeding the cassava molt diet. No
effect of treatment was found in any parameter of
blood physiological values between the 2 molted groups.
 EFFECTS OF CASSAVA-INDUCED MOLT IN LAYERS 1929
Table 4. Effect of nonmolted and molted treatments on hematocrit, and concentrations of
serum estradiol, progesterone, ionized calcium, and inorganic phosphate measured at the end
of the stress period.1

Hct Estradiol Progesterone Ionized Ca P

Item (%) (pg/mL) (ng/mL) (mmol/L) (mg/dL)

Treatment2
CONT 25.7 273.4 1.82 1.99 8.06
FP3 31.5 27.8 ND3 1.76 4.85
FP4 30.4 33.2 ND 1.80 3.98
SEM 2.3 23.6 0.08 0.57
P-value 0.43 0.61 0.26 0.05
1
Data are means of 5 groups of 2 samples each. The statistical comparisons were made between the 2
molt treatments, excluding the control treatment.
2
CONT = nonmolted control; FP3 = induced molt with cassava meal for 3 wk and had a recovery
period of 3 wk; FP4 = induced molt with cassava meal for 4 wk and had a recovery period of 3 wk.
3
ND = not detectable.

Table 5. Effect of nonmolted and molted treatments on gonadal characteristics of the experimental hens at the
termination of the stress period.1

Ovarian traits Number of ovarian follicle2 Oviducal traits

Item Weight Actual weight Small Medium Large Weight Actual weight Length
(g/kg of BW) (g) (g/kg of BW) (g) (cm)

Treatment3
CONT 31.38 61.61 160.6 20.4 4.2 36.59 71.03 83.60
FP3 2.81 3.39 150.6 0 0 8.22 10.31 38.15
FP4 2.38 3.20 150.4 0 0 7.40 10.02 37.62
Pooled SEM 0.48 0.67 3.7 0.90 1.48 4.95
P-value 0.07 0.56 0.93 0.07 0.68 0.82
1
Data are means of 5 groups of 1 sample each. The statistical comparisons were made between the 2 molt treatments, excluding
the control treatment.
2
Small follicle (< 2 mm in diameter); medium follicle (2 to 8 mm in diameter); large follicle (> 8 mm in diameter).
3
CONT = nonmolted control; FP3 = induced molt with cassava meal for 3 wk and had a recovery period of 3 wk; FP4 = induced
molt with cassava meal for 4 wk and had a recovery period of 3 wk.

Hematocrit values increased for the FP3 and FP4 treat-
ments as compared to the CONT treatment, whereas
concentrations of estradiol, ionized calcium, and phos-
phorus for the 2 molted treatments were lower than
those of the CONT treatment. The concentrations of
progesterone for the FP3 and FP4 hens were too low to
be detectable.
The effect of molted treatments on reproductive or-
gans measured at the end of the stress period is sum-
marized in Table 5. No significant differences in any
parameter of the gonads were observed between the 2
molted groups. The ovary weight, number of ovarian
follicles, oviducal weight, and oviducal length for the
FP3 and FP4 treatments were decreased as compared
to the CONT treatment. The medium and large folli-
cles were not able to be counted in the ovaries of the
FP3 and FP4 hens.
Postmolt Performance and Egg Production
Percentage changes in weekly egg production of the
experimental hens throughout the experimental period
are given in Figure 1. During the feeding period of
the cassava molt diet, the FP3 and FP4 hens exhib-
ited a rapid reduction in egg production, reaching zero
on d 15 and 13, respectively, and completely stopped
laying. Birds in both molted treatments returned to
egg production on d 9 following feeding with the pullet
developer diet. During the postmolt period, egg pro-
duction of the 2 molted treatments increased rapidly
and peaked at about 86.72 and 90.67% hen-day egg
production for the FP3 and FP4 treatments, respec-
tively, observed at 84 wk of age. Thereafter, egg pro-
duction rate of the FP3 treatment declined dramati-
cally, whereas that of the FP4 treatment remained at
a higher level of 84% throughout the experimental pe-
riod. Weekly egg production rates during 83 to 95 wk
of age of the FP4 treatment were significantly higher
than those of the CONT treatment, whereas means of
the FP3 treatment were not significantly different from
those of the FP4 and CONT treatments; except for at 89
wk of age, the FP3 treatment had a significantly lower
rate compared to the FP4 treatment (69.77 vs. 88.75%;
P = 0.002).
Table 6 shows average values of feed intake, egg
weight, feed conversion ratio, cumulative egg produc-
tion, and mortality rate during the postmolt period.
Feed consumption for the FP3 treatment was signif-
icantly greater than that for the CONT treatment,
whereas the FP4 treatment had a comparable value to
those of the CONT and FP3 treatments. There were no
significant differences for means of egg weight among
treatments. Feed conversion ratio for the FP4 treat-
ment was significantly lower than those of the other
1930 GONGRUTTANANUN ET AL.

Figure 1. Mean weekly percentage hen-day egg production of the experimental hens throughout the experimental period. The induced molt
period included the stress and recovery periods. The stress period for the FP3 treatment was during 74 to 76 wk of age, whereas that for the FP4
treatment was during 74 to 77 wk of age. The recovery period for the FP3 treatment was during 77 to 79 wk of age, whereas that for the FP4
treatment was during 78 to 80 wk of age. CONT = nonmolted control; FP3 = induced molt with cassava meal for 3 wk and had a recovery period
of 3 wk; FP4 = induced molt with cassava meal for 4 wk and had a recovery period of 3 wk. During the postmolt period, significant differences
are indicated by asterisks. ∗ P < 0.05; ∗∗ P < 0.01.

Table 6. Effect of nonmolted and molted treatments on postmolt feed intake, egg production parameters, and
mortality rate during the postmolt period.1

Feed consumption2 Egg weight3 Feed conversion ratio Cumulative egg production4 Mortality rate4
Item (g/hen per d) (g/egg) (kg feed/kg egg) (eggs/hen per 105 d) (%)

Treatment5
CONT 117.5b 69.8 2.59a 70.74b 15.31a
FP3 125.1a 67.7 2.44a 80.68a,b 3.21b
FP4 121.3a,b 67.2 2.04b 88.41a 2.22b
Pooled SEM 3.9 1.5 0.23 7.51 8.06
P-value 0.03 0.05 0.008 0.01 0.04
a,b
Means within a column with no common superscripts differ significantly (P < 0.05).
1
Data are means of 5 groups of 18 hens each.
2
Feed intake was determined biweekly during 82 to 95 wk of age.
3
Egg weights were measured weekly during 81 to 95 wk of age.
4
Cumulative egg production and mortality rate were calculated during 81 to 95 wk of age.
5
CONT = nonmolted control; FP3 = induced molt with cassava meal for 3 wk and had a recovery period of 3 wk; FP4 =
induced molt with cassava meal for 4 wk and had a recovery period of 3 wk.

2 treatments, whereas the average of the FP3 treat-
ment was similar to that of the CONT treatment. Cu-
mulative egg production (eggs/hen per 105 d) was sig-
nificantly (P = 0.001) higher for the FP4 treatment
(88.41 eggs/hen) than for the CONT treatment (70.74
eggs/hen), whereas the average of the FP3 treatment
(80.68 eggs/hen) was not significantly different from
those of the CONT and FP4 treatments. The mortality
rates for the FP4 and FP3 treatments were 2.22 and
3.21%, respectively, which were significantly lower than
that of the control treatment (15.31%).
Postmolt Albumen and Eggshell Quality
The effects of treatments on Haugh units and albu-
men weight measured at the early, middle, and late
phases of the postmolt period are shown in Table 7.
At the early period, the FP3 and FP4 treatments had
a significantly higher level of Haugh units compared
to the CONT treatment, in which the highest value
was observed for the FP4 treatment (91.25). The FP4
treatment maintained the highest value of Haugh units
(90.84) at the middle period, which was significantly
higher than that of the CONT treatment. However,
hens in all treatments had a comparable value of Haugh
units measured at the end of the study. Percentage of
albumen weight was unaffected by treatment at any
phase of the measurements.
Table 8 depicts the effects of induced molt treatments
on eggshell quality measured at the early, middle, and
late phases of the postmolt period. The FP4 treatment
had a significantly higher level of shell weight, shell
thickness, and shell breaking strength as compared to
the CONT treatment in every period of the measure-
ments. Significant improvements in those parameters,
except for eggshell thickness measured at 89 and 95 wk
of age, were also observed for the FP3 treatment. There
were no significant differences in any parameters of
eggshell quality between the FP3 and FP4 treatments.
 EFFECTS OF CASSAVA-INDUCED MOLT IN LAYERS 1931
Table 7. Effect of nonmolted and molted treatments on albumen quality during the post-
molt period.1

Haugh units Albumen weight (%)

Age (wk) Age (wk)
Item 83 89 95 83 89 95
2
Treatment
CONT 83.51b 83.80b 86.23 66.44 66.67 67.21
FP3 90.93a 86.32a,b 86.31 66.28 66.40 66.24
FP4 91.25a 90.84a 87.78 66.48 66.96 66.23
Pooled SEM 2.60 3.37 3.31 0.72 0.63 0.86
P-value 0.001 0.01 0.71 0.89 0.41 0.16
a,b
Means within a column with no common superscripts differ significantly (P < 0.05).
1
Data are means of 5 groups of 18 hens each.
2
CONT = nonmolted control; FP3 = induced molt with cassava meal for 3 wk and had a recovery
period of 3 wk; FP4 = induced molt with cassava meal for 4 wk and had a recovery period of 3 wk.

Table 8. Effect of nonmolted and molted treatments on eggshell quality during the postmolt period.1

Shell weight (%) Shell thickness (mm) Shell breaking strength (N)
Age (wk) Age (wk) Age (wk)

Item 83 89 95 83 89 95 83 89 95

Treatment2
CONT 8.79b 8.61b 8.65b 0.368b 0.351b 0.356b 30.15b 28.56b 27.94b
FP3 9.27a 8.94a 9.00a 0.385a 0.366a,b 0.365a,b 36.62a 33.02a 33.43a
FP4 9.48a 8.95a 9.08a 0.387a 0.382a 0.389a 38.57a 35.02a 35.85a
Pooled SEM 0.29 0.21 0.21 0.011 0.015 0.015 2.87 2.09 2.44
P-value 0.01 0.04 0.02 0.04 0.02 0.01 0.001 0.001 0.005
a,b
Means within a column with no common superscripts differ significantly (P < 0.05).
1
Data are means of 5 groups of 18 hens each.
2
CONT = nonmolted control; FP3 = induced molt with cassava meal for 3 wk and had a recovery period of
3 wk; FP4 = induced molt with cassava meal for 4 wk and had a recovery period of 3 wk.

DISCUSSION 1979), the stimulation of yolk precursor synthesis

From the results of this study, it was apparent that
feeding the cassava molt diet either 3 or 4 wk under
an 8L:16D photoperiod resulted in a total cessation of
egg production and a reduction in BW of hens. As ex-
pected, the FP4 hens were lighter in weight compared
to the FP3 hens at the end of feeding period of the
molt diet. During this time, the FP4 hens lost approxi-
mately 30.13% of their body weights, whereas the FP3
hens lost their body weight only 25.23%. In a previous
study, we found that feeding cassava diets for 2 wk in-
duces hens to lose body weight by approximately 21.9%
(Gongruttananun et al., 2013). These results indicate
that the degree of BW loss of hens that occurred during
the molt period is positively correlated to the duration
of feeding period of the cassava molt diet.
In the current study, hematocrit values increased for
birds in the 2 molted treatments compared to the con-
trol birds (Table 4). This can be explained by a re-
duction of blood estradiol concentrations in the molted
hens leading to an increase of erythropoiesis, conse-
quently their hematocrit values are increased. Estra-
diol is an ovarian steroid hormone that has a variety
of reproductive functions in laying hens, including the
regulation of calcium metabolism for eggshell forma-
tion (Etches, 1987), the enhancement of growth of the
oviduct, the induction of albumen synthesis (Palmiter,
(Deeley et al., 1975), and the inhibitory role on ery-
throcyte synthesis (Sturkie, 1986). Due to the atresia
of ovarian follicles that occurred during the stress pe-
riod, estradiol concentrations of the FP3 and FP4 hens
were reduced as compared to the CONT hens (Table 5).
In laying hens, the thecal cell of small follicles is the site
of synthesis of estrogen and androgen, whereas proges-
terone is produced by the granulosa cell of large folli-
cles (Etches, 1996). The inability to detect progesterone
in the FP3 and FP4 hens could be due to no mature
follicles being present in the ovaries of hens in those
treatments. The reduction of plasma estradiol and pro-
gesterone concentrations in laying hens induced to molt
has been reported by several investigators (Etches et al.,
1984; Hoshino et al., 1988; Braw-Tal et al., 2004). The
reduction in calcium and phosphorus concentrations ob-
served for the FP3 and FP4 treatments in the present
study may result from the reproductive state and pat-
tern of feed intake of birds in these groups. In fact, the
FP3 and FP4 hens stopped laying completely, as well as
consumed the cassava molt diet containing lower min-
eral content. These are consistent with the results have
been reported previously (Parsons and Combs, 1981).
Weekly egg production data collected throughout the
experimental period shows that the molted hens re-
turned to egg production at a slow rate after receiving
the pullet developer diet, and then rapidly increased
1932 GONGRUTTANANUN ET AL.
during the postmolt period (Figure 1). It is of interest
to note that the peak of egg production for the FP4
treatment was the highest value as compared to those
of the other 2 treatments, being of 90.67% hen-day egg
production. In addition, the FP4 hens laid significantly
more eggs than did the control hens throughout the
period of 83 to 95 wk of age, whereas the FP3 hens
produced eggs with a comparable level to the CONT.
Moreover, significant improvements in postmolt feed ef-
ficiency and cumulative egg production were also ob-
served for the FP4 treatment, but not found for the FP3
treatment (Table 6). The results are in agreement with
some workers (Baker and Brake, 1981) who reported
that body weight loss of 30% is needed for optimum
postmolt performance.
The present study found improved mortality rate in
the 2 molted treatments during the postmolt period.
This is consistent with previous studies (Brake and
Thaxton, 1982; Lee, 1982). Additionally, it was also
found that postmolt Haugh units, shell weight, shell
thickness, and shell breaking strength were improved
for both the FP3 and FP4 treatments. Interestingly,
the FP4 treatment exhibited higher values for all pa-
rameters as compared to the FP3 treatment although
the differences were not statically significant. Our re-
sults support the view that hens that lose the greatest
amount of BW exhibit the greatest improvements in
eggshell quality and highest production in the subse-
quent laying cycle as has been suggested by Baker et
al. (1983).
In summary, the results indicated that feeding the
cassava molt diet either 3 or 4 wk is an effective non-
feed removal method for molting laying hens without
adverse effects. The optimum feeding period for im-
proved postmolt performance seems to be 4 wk, to
achieve BW loss of at least 30% and ensure for ovar-
ian regression. Nevertheless, care should be taken to
use cassava meal with the lowest possible hydrocyanic
acid content.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The research project was funded by the Kasetsart
University Research and Development Institute, Kaset-
sart University, Bangkok, Thailand.
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