Wilson E K, Hester P Y, Pierson F W, Fabijanska I
Poult Sci. 1982 Aug;61(8):1708-12. doi: 10.3382/ps.0611708.
Plasma concentrations of cholesterol and testosterone were determined in White Leghorn hens that had just laid soft-shelled (SS) or shell-less (SL) eggs and compared to those that laid hard-shelled (HS) eggs. Hens were bled at two different ages, at 22 to 34 and 66 to 74 weeks of age. Blood samples were collected in the morning hours (0600 to 1200 hr) for both age groups with an additional evening bleed (1500 to 1900 hr) for the 66 to 74-week-old hens. Both plasma constituents were higher in hens that laid SS or SL eggs when compared to those which laid HS eggs, but differences were statistically significant only for the 66 to 74-week-old hens bled in the morning hours. The results of this study indicate that elevated levels of testosterone and its precursor, cholesterol, may be related to the production of eggs with little or no shell calcification.
测定了刚产下软壳（SS）或无壳（SL）蛋的白来航母鸡的血浆胆固醇和睾酮浓度，并与产下硬壳（HS）蛋的母鸡进行比较。母鸡在两个不同年龄段采血，分别为22至34周龄和66至74周龄。两个年龄组均在上午（06:00至12:00）采血，66至74周龄的母鸡还在傍晚（15:00至19:00）额外采血一次。与产下HS蛋的母鸡相比，产下SS或SL蛋的母鸡的两种血浆成分含量更高，但仅在上午采血的66至74周龄母鸡中，差异具有统计学意义。本研究结果表明，睾酮及其前体胆固醇水平升高可能与几乎没有或完全没有蛋壳钙化的蛋的产生有关。
