Dietary cellulose, wheat bran, and fish meal in relation to hepatic lipids, serum lipids, and lipid excretion in laying hens.

Isonitrogenous diets supplemented with 10% cellulose, 10% wheat bran, or 10% fish meal were fed to White Leghorn hens from 245 to 322 days of age. Neither body weights nor egg production of the hens fed these diets differed significantly from those of controls fed a corn-soybean meal basal diet. Supplemental fish meal and wheat bran did not significantly affect liver weight or liver lipids, although serum lipids of the hens fed the diet containing fish meal were significantly lower than those of the hens fed the basal diet. The hens fed the cellulose-supplemented diet, however, exhibited significantly decreased liver weights, serum lipids, and liver lipids, which were accompanied by a significant increase in excreta lipid. It is speculated that lipid excretion may be involved in some dietary induced alterations in the hepatic lipid concentration of laying chickens.