The effect of dietary L-DOPA application on egg yield, egg quality and laying cycle of hens at the end or afterwards of the laying period

The present study was conducted to determine different application methods and different doses of L-DOPA on egg yield, laying cycle and egg quality in hens at the end or afterwards of the laying period. In the first experiment, 25 mg/kgBW, 50 mg/kgBW, 100 mg/kgBW L-DOPA administered to the hens at the end of the laying period (75 weeks of age). The administrations were made by feed or intraperitonal injection, in accordance with kg body weight weekly. In the second experiment, 25 mg/kgBW, 50 mg/kgBW, 100 mg/kgBW L-DOPA administration was made by feed to the hens with no laying performance aging 89 weeks in accordance with kg body weight weekly.The data obtained in the first experiment lasted 10 weeks showed that there were no significant differences in terms of egg yield, egg weight, egg mass, terms of feed intake, body weight gain, ovary weight and cracked egg number between groups administered with different application methods and different doses of L-DOPA application and control group (P>0.05). However, the results showed significant differences in terms of feed conversion efficiency (P<0.05). The results obtained in the second experiment lasted 5 weeks showed that there were no significant differences in terms of egg yield, egg weight, egg mass, feed intake, feed conversion efficiency, body weight gain and number of cracked egg between groups given different doses of L-DOPA by feed (P>0.05).