In laying hens, the undigested starch in conventional corn can reduce the efficiency of their diet. Therefore, the current study evaluated the effects of replacing conventional corn with a corn hybrid expressing thermostable α-amylase (Enogen corn) in standard and energy-deficient diets in laying hens. A total of 320 White Leghorn hens were assigned to four dietary treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial design of corn type (conventional and Enogen) and energy density (standard and 200 kcal/kg reduction) from 18–45 weeks of age. Enogen corn diet improved overall feed efficiency by 8% (p 0.05). Reducing dietary energy led to higher feed intake during 36–45 weeks (p = 0.017), worsened overall feed efficiency (p = 0.030), and decreased cortical bone mineral density (p = 0.035). In conclusion, replacing conventional corn with Enogen corn improved feed efficiency and egg production, whereas a 200 kcal/kg energy reduction triggered compensatory intake and impaired cortical bone quality.
Paneru et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
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