High-Zinc Diet Effects on Molting and Microbiome in Laying Hens

A study of 384 Lohmann Pink hens at 65 weeks old compared fasting-induced molting with zinc oxide supplementation. Serum, cecal contents, and ovaries were sampled across six stages from pre-molt to post-molt recovery. The dataset, last updated in May 2026, contains results showing accelerated cessation of lay and earlier recovery with high-zinc diets.

Use Cases

• Compare molting methods based on production recovery timelines and weight loss metrics.
• Analyze microbiome changes based on enrichment of specific microbes like Coprenecus pullicola and Fournierella spp.
• Investigate metabolic pathway activation based on glycine, serine, and lysine metabolism data.
• Assess animal welfare based on inflammatory and barrier-injury signals like IL-1β, LPS, and DAO.
• Evaluate post-molt egg quality based on albumen height, Haugh unit, shell thickness, and yolk color.

Strengths

• Includes data from 384 hens, providing a substantial sample size.
• Multi-omics analysis revealed microbial and metabolic changes.
• Compares two molting methods across six distinct physiological stages.
• Results include specific performance metrics like 5.75 vs. 8.87 days to cessation of lay.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect bias inherent to a single study on a specific hen breed.

Provenance

Source

figshare

Collection Method

Experimental study comparing fasting-induced molting with zinc oxide supplementation in laying hens.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-13 04:45:13; freshness should be verified.