Archivos Latinoamericanos de Producción Animal. 2023. 31 (3)
Effects of dietary energy levels on productive performance and eggs
quality during the Late Phase HyLine Brown laying Hens
Recibido: 20220630. Revisado: 20230130 Aceptado: 20230710
1
Corresponding author: jgrijalva@uce.edu.ec
2
Independent professional, Ecuador
267
Jorge Eduardo Grijalva Olmedo
1
Abstract. Diets with 2800 and 2900 kcal of ME/kg were evaluated to determine their effect on weight gain and egg
quality parameters at the end of the production cycle in HyLine. At 74 weeks of age, 960 HyLine Brown hens were
separated into two body weight ranges: light hens, which weighed between 1882,5 2193,5g, and heavy hens, which
weighed 2222,72563,7g. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and the Duncan Significant Minimum Range test was
used to compare treatment means. Feed consumption, feed conversion and abdominal fat were recorded. Egg
quality was determined by weight records, albumen height, egg yolk color, freshness, resistance, and thickness
using the digital method with laser irradiation in the digital Egg Tester DET600. No interactions between the diet’s
energy content and the hens’ body weight were detected for all studied variables; therefore, only the main effects
are presented. Light hens had a lower feed consumption than heavier hens (105,0 g/day vs. 108,1 g/day,
respectively) (P < 0.01). The energy level of the diet did not affect this variable. At the end of the laying period,
heavier hens accumulated more abdominal fat (7.9 %) compared to light hens (7.2 %) (P < 0.01). The weight of the
eggs was affected only by the weight of the hens (P < 0.01). The egg yolk colour ranged from a scale of 7,2 at the
lowest energy level to 6,7 at the highest energy level in the diet. In conclusion, an increase in the energy level of
feed for laying hens with different body weights during the last production phase did not improve their productive
performance.
Keywords: Eggs quality, Haugh units, metabolizable energy, hen production performance
https://doi.org/10.53588/alpa.310305
Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Ecuador
Jaime Danilo Carrión Puglla
2
Efectos del nivel de energía de la dieta sobre el desempeño productivo y
calidad de huevos durante la última fase de postura de gallinas ponedoras Hy
Line Brown
Resumen. Se evaluaron dietas con 2800 y 2900 kcal de EM/kg para determinar su efecto sobre el aumento de peso y
los parámetros de calidad del huevo al final del ciclo de produccion en HyLine. A las 74 semanas de edad, 960
gallinas HyLine Brown se separaron en dos rangos de peso: gallinas ligeras, que pesaban entre 1882,5 2193,5 g y
gallinas pesadas, que pesaban entre 2222,7 2563,7 g. Los datos fueon analizados por ANOVA y para la
comparación de medias de tratamientos se utilizó la prueba Dunkan Significant Minimun Range con una
probabilidad de < 0.05 y < 0.01 tanto para los factores independientes como para la interacción del peso de la
gallina y el nivel de energia de la dieta. Se colectaron datos de consumo, produccion de huevos, conversión
alimenticia y grasa abdominal. La calidad del huevo se determinó mediante registros de peso, altura de albumina,
color de yema de huevo, frescura, resistencia y grosor, utilizando el método digital DET600. Los resultados
muestran un menor consumo de alimentos en las gallinas livianas (105,0 g/día) en relación con las gallinas más
pesadas (108,1 g/día) (P < 0.01). El nivel de energía de la dieta no afectó esta variable. Al final del periodo de
postura, las aves más pesadas acumularon más grasa abdominal (7,9 %) respecto de las aves livianas (7,2 %) (P <
0.01). El peso de los huevos fue afectado únicamente por el peso de las aves (P < 0.01). El color de la yema del huevo
varió desde una escala de 7,2 al menor nivel de energia hasta 6,7 al nivel más alto de energía de la dieta. Se
concluyó que es más factible disminuir el valor energético de la dieta de aves al final del periodo de postura.
Palabras claves: Calidad de huevo, Unidades Haugh, energía metabolizable, gallinas ponedoras
Fernando Andrés Pazmiño
268
Introduction
Grijalva et al.
Egg production in Latin America and Ecuador faces
numerous difficulties in maintaining economic
viability, which makes it necessary to explore and
develop new production and marketing models that
allow an efficient use of resources and particularly,
efficiency in the use of energy provided by the diet
(Peebles et al., 2000; Arenas, 2016). Several authors
point out that commercial laying hens regulate feed
intake according to the dietary energy level. However,
the voluntary consumption of energy generally exceeds
the maintenance and egg production requirements,
which contribute to increase the body weight of the
hen (Singh, 2005; ChanColli et al., 2007; Jiang et al.,
2013). In this respect, Harms, Rousell and Sloan (2000),
showed that the body weight of hens from four
different genetic lines fed diets of 2519, 2798 and 3078
kcal ME/kg responds directly to the energy content of
the diet, which is, hens that received a diet high in
energy gained more weight than those hens that
received a low energy diet. These findings are
supported by other research, where hens fed diets
equivalent to 2950 kcal ME/kg tend to gain more
weight, affecting egg mass production negatively. On
the contrary, the consumption of diets of 2650 kcal ME/
kg affected the production of egg mass (Peebles et al.,
2000; Sing, 2005; Pérez et al., 2012; Romero et al., 2009).
Several authors suggest that eggs quality can be
enriched with certain nutrients through dietary
manipulation (Petru Alexandru et al., 2021; Arenas,
2016), which accounts for the nutrition has also been
widely accepted as a strategy to influence health and
diseases of laying hens (FuenteMartinez et al., 2012; Jin
Wang et al., 2017). In this regard, egg yolk
pigmentation increases linearly with the concentration
of energy in the diet since xanthophyll is the main
pigment responsible for yolk coloring. This pigment is
highly soluble in fat, which is the reason why, by
increasing the energy concentration in the diet, the
level of fat increment favors xanthophyll absorption in
the hen’s gastrointestinal tract (Lázaro et al., 2003). On
the other hand, it has been suggested that albumin
quality decreases linearly with the increase in energy
concentration of the diet (Pérez et al., 2012). However,
supplemental fat does not affect the Haugh units of the
eggs (Safa et al., 2008).
Due to the need to achieve good weights for an agile
sale, it is necessary to adapt the rations, so it is possible
to supply diets with energy levels that allow the hen to
reach adequate sales weights at the end of the laying
cycle and at the same time to obtain good quality eggs.
The objective of this study was to determine the effect
of diets with two energy levels (2800 and 2900 kcal/kg
of feed) on weight gain, feed consumption, percentage
of production, feed conversion and hen mortality and
the effect of these diets on egg quality (weight,
albumen height, yolk coloring, shell strength and
thickness) in HyLine laying hens with weights < 2200
g and > 2200 g at the end of the productive cycle.
Efeitos de níveis energéticos da dieta sobre o desempenho produtivo e a qualidade
dos ovos durante a fase tardia do poedeiras comerciais HyLine Brown
Resumo. Dietas com 2800 e 2900 kcal de EM/kg foram avaliadas para determinar seu efeito sobre o ganho de peso
e parãmetros de qualidade dos ovos ao final do ciclo de produção em HyLine. Com 74 semanas de idade, 960
galinhas HyLine Brown foram separadas em duas faixas de peso: galinhas leves, pesando entre 1882,5 2193,5 g, e
pesadas pesando entre 2222,7 2563,7 g. Os dados foram analisados por ANOVA e para a comparação das médias
dos tratamentos foi utilizado o teste Dunkan Significant Minimum Range com probabilidade de < 0.05 e < 0.01
tanto para os fatores independentes quanto para a interação do peso da galinha e do nível energético da dieta.
Foram coletados dados de consumo, produção de ovos, conversão alimentar e gordura abdominal. A qualidade dos
ovos foi determinada pelos registros de peso, altura de albumina, cor da gema, frescor, forçã e espessura,
utilizandose o método digital con irradiação a laser no vovômetro Digital DET600. Os resultados mostram um
menor consumo de alimento nas galinhas mais leves (105,0 g/dia) em relação às galinhas mais pesadas (108,1 g/
dia) (P < 0.01). O nível de energia da dieta não afetou essa variável. No final do período de postura, as aves mais
pesadas acumularam mais gordura abdominal (7,9 %) em comparação com as aves mais leves (7,2 %) (P < 0.01). O
peso dos ovos foi afetado apenas pelo peso das aves (P < 0.01). A cor da gema do ovo variou de 7,2 na menor
energia até 6,7 no nível mais alto de energia da dieta. Concluise que é viável diminuir o valor energético da dieta
das aves ao final do periodo de postura.
Palavraschave: Qualidade do ovo, Unidades Haugh, energia metabolizável, galinhas poedeiras.
ISSNL 10221301. Archivos Latinoamericanos de Producción Animal. 2023. 31 (3): 267  275
269
Diet energy levels in HyLine Brown laying hens
Materials and Methods
The experiment was carried out at 2400 m of altitu
de, with an average temperature of 15 ºC and 1300 mm
of annual precipitation. Experimental sheds were used
with a capacity of 240 cages to house 4 laying hens
each, belonging to a commercial poultry company. A
total of 960 hens with 74 weeks of age from the Hy
Line Brown genetic line were used, proportionally
separated into two weight ranges: light hens weighed
between 1882,5 2193,5g (2071,5 71,72) and heavy hens
weighed between 2222,72563,7g (2376,0 89,65). The
weight range used in this research is explained because
normally at the end of the production cycle, a diet with
high energy density causes increases in energy
consumption and body weight, without affecting the
mass production of eggs. But that effect is apparently
more pronounced in light hens than in heavy hens. In
economic terms, what is expected is that the hens go to
marker with adequate weights and based on diets with
lower caloric density and lower cost.
Weight groups were randomly assigned to two diets
(Table 1) with two energy levels (2800 and 2900 kcal/
kg of feed). Each experimental unit consisted of 5 cages
with 4 hens each, giving a total of 20 individuals per
experimental unit, with 12 repetitions per treatment.
Table 1. Analyzed nutrient composition of the experimental
diets (As a dry base).
Nutrient composition Metabolizable energy, Kcal/kg
2800 2900
Crude Protein, % 15,9 15,9
Ether extract, % 5,8 7,5
Digestible Methionine, % 0,4 0,4
Digestible Lysine, % 0,7 0,7
Calcio, % 4,3 4,3
A Completely Random Design with bifactorial
arrangement was used, where factor A was the initial
weight of the hens and Factor B was the energy level
of the diet used. Each of the repetitions was randomly
Results
No interactions between the diet’s energy content
and the hens’ body weight were detected for any
studied variables; therefore, only the main effects are
presented.
Body weight
Results in Table 2 show significant differences
(P < 0.01) among weights from week 75 through week 80
in each evaluation period due to the hen weight factor.
However, none of the hens group showed differences
in weight between weeks.
Because of energy levels used in the diets, the weights
of the hens in the different evaluation periods did not
show statistical differences (P > 0.05), although nume
rically, a slight superiority was observed when using
2900 kcal/kg of feed in relation to diets with 2800 kcal
EM/kg of feed. No effects of the interaction between
body weight and diet energy level were found (P > 0.05).
distributed in the cages of the experimental house.
Initial weight was recorded for 40 % of the hens per
each treatment and weight was measured every 7 days
until sale day at 80 weeks of age. Weight gain was
determined by subtracting the weight of the
corresponding week with the initial weight of the hens
at week 75 of age using a digital scale graduated in
grams. Each experimental unit was provided feed
every day in the early hours of the morning and the
next day, the remainder was weighed to define daily
feed consumption.
Egg collection was performed twice a day and the
production percentage was calculated by dividing the
number of eggs produced by the number of hens
multiplied by 100. The feed conversion was
determined by dividing the feed consumption for the
egg mass obtained per hen while the experiment
lasted. At the beginning and the end of this research,
abdominal fat percentage was evaluated for 2 % of the
hens in each experimental unit. For this purpose, each
hen in the sample was sacrificed, with abdominal fat
removed and weighed. The result was expressed as
abdominal fat weight percentage to body weight.
To determine egg quality, 12 eggs were collected
weekly per treatment and were analyzed by digital
method with laser irradiation using a digital Egg
Tester DET 600, which allowed to determine the
following variables: egg weight (g), albumen height
(mm), yolk color (using the Roche colorimetric scale),
freshness (Haugh units), resistance (in kgf) and
thickness (mm).
The experiment was conducted as a completely
randomized design with bifactorial arrange. The
obtained data were analyzed by ANOVA and the
comparison among means of treatments by the
Duncan Minimum Significant Range test was used at
two probability levels < 0.05 and < 0.01 for both the
independent factors and the interaction (body weight
and energy level of the diet).
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270
Table 2. Weight (g) of HyLine Brown hens by the effect of body weights and two diets with different energy levels, from 75 to
80 weeks of age (end of productive cycle).
Weight according to age (g)
Week
Study factor 75 76 77 78 79 80
Layer Hen weight
< 2200 g 2071,5
b
2041,3
b
2065,5
b
2069,0
b
2137,1
b
2044,9
b
> 2200 g 2376,0
a
2335,5
a
2339,2
a
2357,6
a
2416,8
a
2315,4
a
P value 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000
Feed energy level
2800 kcal 2220,7
a
2191,0a 2196,1
a
2206,4
a
2264,9a 2172,8
a
2900 kcal 2226,9
a
2185,8a 2208,5
a
2220,1
a
2289,0a 2187,5
a
P value 0.780 0.735 0.326 0.287 0.066 0.294
Average values with different letters in the same column according to the study factor; differ statistically according to Duncan test (P < 0.01).
Daily Consumption
According to Table 3, as of week 77, hens with higher
weights (> 2200 g) recorded higher daily feed
consumptions than hens of lower weight. Regardless of
the body weight of the hens, consumption was within the
range established by HyLine International (2016), which
establishes that feed consumption from week 51 to week
90 should range between 106 and 112 g/hen/day. The
diet energy level did not significantly affect feed
consumption.
Table 3. Daily feed consumption (g/hen/day) of HyLine Brown hens because of body weights and diets with different energy
levels at the end of the production cycle.
Daily feed consumption according to age (g/hen/day)
Week
Study factor 76 77 78 79 80
Layer Hen weight
< 2200 g 100,8
a
107,3
a
108,3
b
108,1
b
105,0
b
> 2200 g 102,6
a
109,9
a
111,8
b
112,2
a
108,1
a
P value 0.072 0.005 0.000 0.000 0.019
Feed energy level
2800 kcal 102,0
a
108,7
a
110,0
a
110,3
a
106,6
a
2900 kcal 101,5
a
108,5
a
110,2
a
110,0a 106,0a
P value 0.603 0.869 0.987 0.753 0.947
Average with equal letters in the same column according to the study factor, do not differ statistically according to Duncan test (P > 0.05)
Abdominal fat
Table 4 shows that in week 75, abdominal fat due to
the weight of hens was not different, but at Week 80 of
age, statistical differences were found, which means that
the hens of greater weight tend to accumulate more
abdominal fat than hens of lower weights. On the other
hand, the energy level of the diet and the interaction
between the body weight of hens and diets did not show
differences in the accumulation of abdominal fat.
Egg weight
Egg weights (Table 5), showed statistical differences
due to the initial weight of the hens, where heavier eggs
are those coming from hens with weights over 2200 g.
Egg yolk color
Table 6 shows that egg color response yielded
considerable variations according to the energy value of
the diet used, but not due to the weight with which the
hens started this research, except for the 76th week of
age, where different colored egg yolks were produced.
Depending on the amount of energy of the diets used,
there were significant differences in the yolk color of the
eggs produced at 77 and 78 weeks of age, with higher
egg counts obtained from the hens that received a diet
with 2900 kcal/kg compared to the eggs coming from
diets with 2800 kcal. At week 80 of age, the responses
were reversed, since higher grades received eggs from
hens that received less energy in the diet.
Grijalva et al.
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271
Table 4. HyLine Brown hens’ abdominal fat (%) by effect of body weight and two diets with different energy levels at the end of
the productive cycle.
Study factor Week 75 Week 80
Layer Hen weight
< 2200 g 2,4
a
5,6
b
> 2200 g 2,4
a
7,9
a
P value 0.880 0.008
Feed energy level
2800 kcal 2,5
a
6,3
a
2900 kcal 2,3
a
7,2
a
P value 0.539 0.180
Average with equal letters in the same column according to the study factor, did not differ statistically according to Duncan’s test (P>0.05), and different letters
differed statistically (P < 0.01).
Table 5. Egg weight (g) of HyLine Brown hens due to body weight and two diets with different energy levels at the end of the
production cycle.
Egg weight according to the age of the hen (g)
Week
Study factor 76 77 78 79 80
Layer Hen weight
< 2200 g 66,2
b
66,7
b
66,9
b
67,0
b
67,0
a
> 2200 g 67,8
a
67,9
a
68,0
a
68,3
a
68,0
a
P value 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.006
Feed energy level
2800 kcal 66,9
a
67,2
a
67,4
a
67,6
a
67,2
a
2900 kcal 67,2
a
67,4
a
67,5
a
67,7
a
67,8
a
P value 0.336 0.383 0.711 0.831 0.082
Average with equal letters in the same column according to the study factor, did not differ statistically (P > 0.05), and different letters differed statistically (P < 0.01).
Table 6. HyLine Brown hens egg yolk color (Roche scale), due to body weight and two diets with different energy levels at the
end of the production cycle.
Egg yolk color according to the age of the hen (Roche scale)
Week
Study factor 76 77 78 79 80
Layer hen weight
< 2200 g 7,0
b
7,2
a
7,3
a
7,2
a
6,8
a
> 2200 g 7,5
a
7,5
a
7,7
a
7,5
a
7,1
a
P value 0.030 0.201 0.075 0.290 0.098
Feed energy level
2800 kcal 7,1
a
7,0
b
7,1
b
7,2
a
7,2
a
2900 kcal 7,4
a
7,7
a
7,9
a
7,5
a
6,7
b
P value 0.095 0.008 0.000 0.290 0.031
Average with equal letters in the same column according to the study factor, did not differ statistically (P > 0.05), and different letters differed statistically (P < 0.01).
Discussion
In relation to body weight, the hens with higher
weights gained more weight than less heavy hens. In
fact, the weights recorded correspond to ideal
weights as established by the Handbook for HyLine
Brown commercial hens, with values fluctuating
between 1910 and 2030 g at week 80 of age (HyLine
International, 2016).
In effect of energy levels used in the diets, the
weights of the hens in the different evaluation
periods did not show statistical differences (P > 0.05).
Likely, the differences between the energy levels used
in this experiment were not enough to cause a
significant effect on the body weight of the hens.
This behavior opposes what Harms, Rousell and
Sloan (2000) claimed, who reported that the body
weight of hens coming from four different genetic
lines, and which were fed diets of 2519, 2798 and
3078 kcal ME/kg responded directly to energy
content, because hens that were fed the high energy
diet gained more weight and hens that received the
low energy diet gained less weight. Other authors
pointed out the existence of interrelationships
between diet nutrients over body weight (Olukosi
Diet energy levels in HyLine Brown laying hens
ISSNL 10221301. Archivos Latinoamericanos de Producción Animal. 2023. 31 (3): 267  275
272
and FruNji, 2014; Tepox Pérez et al., 2012; Fuente et
al., 2012; Gunawardana; Salas, 2013).
On the other hand, Van de Braak and Faure (2015)
state that an undesired development in laying hens
is the gain or loss of body weight after the peak
production period of the hen since the goal is to
maintain body weight gain close to zero from the
peak period until the end of laying. In this way, the
hen would use the raw energy from the food more
efficiently to maintain a healthy body condition and
for egg production.
Romero et al. (2009) and Pérez et al. (2012) point
out that the extra energy allows the hen to gain
weight. However, at the same time, egg production
was affected since heavier and older hens require
more energy to cover their maintenance needs,
which leaves fewer calories available for egg
formation (Fundación Española de Nutrición
AnimalFEDNA, 2008; FEDNA, 2010; Singh, 2005).
In relation to feed consumption, from week 77
onwards, heavier hens (> 2200 g) showed higher
consumption than lower weight hens, a behavior
that can be attributed to the fact that heavier hens
consume more feed to cover their nutritional needs
for maintenance, compared to light hens (< 2200 g).
Regardless of the body weight of the hens, feed
consumption wass within the range of HyLine
International (2016), which states that feed
consumption from week 51 to week 90 usually
ranges between 106 and 112 g/hen/day.
The analysis of the effect of ME diet did not show
statical differences in feed consumption, which
agrees with Acosta, Márquez and Angulo (2002)
when evaluating different densities of hens in cages
and fed with various levels of dietary energy.
However, other studies indicate that the change in
the energy level of diet affects consumption
(Irandoust et al., 2012; López, 2013; Ravindra, 2014;
Olukosi and FruNji, 2014).
The hens’ initial body weights and the diets’
energy levels did not influence the feed conversion
in the different evaluated periods, whose values
fluctuated between 1,96 and 2,16. These feed
conversion results align with the findings of Acosta
et al. (2002), who found food conversions from 1,91
to 1,96 in diets containing 2000 and 2600 kcal ME/
kg, respectively. Other researchers have reported
contrasting results (Harms, Rousell and Sloan, 2000;
Alleoni and Antunes, 2001; Acosta, Márquez y
Angulo, 2002; García et al., 2008; Gunawardana,
Roland, and Bryant, 2008; Cuca, Avila y Pro, 2009;
PérezBonilla et al., 2011; Pérez et al., 2012).
Regarding abdominal fat, Salas (2013) states that
energy nutrition plays an important role in body
composition, weight gain and hen production.
According to this author, such a fact implies that an
increase in the amount of energy offered during the
beginnings of production, can accelerate the onset of
the entry of sexual maturity of hens due to an
increase in fat deposition in lighter hens. However,
other authors state that as the age of the hens
increases, the increase in energy of the diet does not
necessarily translate into better yields during laying
(Coutts and Wilson, 2007; Valkonen et al., 2008;
Bouvarel et al., 2020; Wu et al., 2015).
It is known that the body weight of hens plays an
important role in egg weight, as observed in this
study. In this regard, García et al. (2008) claim that
the main factor determining the egg’s size is the
body weight of the hen and it is normally expected
that heavier hens produce larger eggs. On the other
hand, the energy level of the diet did not influence
the weight of the eggs, which contrasts with the
findings of Cuca, Avila and Pro (2009), who indicate
that from the nutritional point of view, egg size can
be manipulated through the adequate supply of
metabolizable energy and essential amino acids in
the diets for laying hens, when the hens are at the
beginning of the production and have a high energy
requirement, the laying hen can regulate its intake
by the amount of energy present in the feed (Alleoni
and Antunes, 2001; Cherian, Goeger and Ahn, 2002;
Gunawardana; Fuente et al., 2012).
The initial body weight of the hens was compared
with reference values enunciated by Periago (2012),
suggesting that until week 79 of age, eggs would
have quality in a range of very good to acceptable,
after which there would be a tendency to drop their
quality at week 80. This can be explained by the fact
that Haugh units are affected by storage time,
temperature, age of the hen, and genetic line
nutrition, among other factors (Alleoni and Antunes,
2001; De Ketelaere et al. 2002; Usca, 2009; Ortiz y
Malo, 2009; Piraquive and García, 2014; Arena, 2016).
Apparently, the increase in energy in the diets of
hens at the end of the laying cycle does not reflect a
clear effect on color of egg yolk. Periago (2012)
points out that the color of the egg yolk is due to 70 %
to xanthophylls and 2 % to carotenes, the rest
corresponds to other pigments. The large quantities of
carotenes and vitamin A that appear in some feeds give
Grijalva et al.
ISSNL 10221301. Archivos Latinoamericanos de Producción Animal. 2023. 31 (3): 267  275
273
a pale yolk, while the xanthophylls give very high
colored buds. The pale yolks for carrying a large
amount of carotenes and vitamin A are of great
bromatological importance because they are more
nutritious than those of high color. In fact,
developing knowledge of poultry nutrition and
modern biotechnology provides many measures and
strategies for achieving sustainable development of the
egg industry. In recent years, more and more
nutritionists are exploring nutrients’ additional benefits,
such as healthpromoting effects, rather than their
traditional values (Jin Wang et al., 2017; Yi et al., 2021).
Conclusions
Under the conditions in which the experiment was
carried out, an increase in the energy level from 2800
to 2900 kcal ME/kg of feed for laying hens with
different body weights (<2000 g and >2000 g) during
the last production phase did not contribute to
improve the productive performance. Therefore, a
decrease in the energy level of the diet during these
laying phases can represent an important saving in
production costs for the laying hens raising systems.
Conflict of interests: Authors declare no conflict of interest to declare
Author contributions: Conceptualization and study design: D. Carrion and J. Grijalva. D. Carrion was collected
field data, J Grijalva and F. Pazmiño verified the underlying data, and all authors conducted the statistical analyses
and have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Approval of the Animal Experimentation Committee
Due to the nature of the study and the low risk to
participants and animals used in the research
process, no formal Committee Ethics approval was
required. All animals were treated with care and the
usual farm management of samples collection was
followed, without mistreatment and ensuring animal
welfare.
Acknowledgments
Our thanks go to the Faculty of Veterinary Medi
cine and Zootechnics of the Universidad Central del
Ecuador and the Agroindustrial Company, who
supported the development of this research.
Funding
The survey was funded by the Universidad Central
del Ecuador through the research postgraduate
project entitled “Evaluation of the effect of two diets
with different energy levels on weight gain and egg
quality parameters at the end of the production cycle
in HighLine Hens”
Edited by Luis Armando SarmientoFranco and Aline FreitasdeMelo.
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