Weight loss as related to body composition in aging white turkey hens.

Large and Small White turkey hens were housed in either cages or floor pens and fed a 17% protein breeder diet. At 0, 7, 14, and 23 weeks of egg production, entire carcasses from 6 hens in each of the four time periods were analyzed for moisture, fat, protein, calcium, and phosphorous. Both types of hens, regardless of housing type, had significant linear declines in body weight during egg production. On an absolute weight basis, significant decreasing trends occurred with aging for body moisture, protein, fat, calcium, and phosphorous in both strains and housing types; however, on a percentage basis the significant decreasing trends were evident only for calcium and phosphorous. The results of the data suggest that turkey diets should be designed to produce and maintain heavier body weights in turkey hens which then may prevent the decline in egg production.