Ghrelin plasma concentration does not covary with energy demand in adult laying hens

The peptide hormone ghrelin is suggested to be involved in food intake regulation in young growing chicken. Whether ghrelin is involved in the regulation of energetic balance associated with laying performance in adult laying hens was studied by use of 4 chicken lines that differ in laying performance and phylogeny (4 lines; 16 hens per line). As housing conditions are also known to affect energy demand, half of the hens per line were housed in single cages and the other half of hens were maintained in a floor housing system.

Source: Domestic Animal Endocrinology - June 29, 2017 Category: Endocrinology Authors: A. H öhne, L. Schrader, S. Weigend, S. Petow Source Type: research