Evaluating the Role of Dietary Corn Particle Size on Production Traits and Egg Characteristics in Early-Phase Laying Hens.

This study investigated the impact of corn particle size on laying hen performance, egg quality, egg size, and fecal score. A total of 252 Hy-Line brown laying hens, aged 12 weeks, were randomly allotted to three dietary treatments with seven replicates of 12 hens per treatment. The experimental diets included corn particle sizes of 600 μm (TRT1), 900 μm (TRT2), and 1200 μm (TRT3) and were provided over an 18-week trial. Results indicated that dietary corn particle size did not significantly affect egg production, feed conversion ratio (FCR), egg weight, egg size, or fecal score throughout the experimental period (p > 0.05). No significant effects were observed during weeks 12-18 and 18-24 for production performance or egg quality traits. During the late phase (24-30 weeks), average daily feed intake (ADFI) exhibited a quadratic tendency (p < 0.10), with reduced intake at the intermediate particle size (900 μm). Most egg quality parameters, including eggshell thickness, strength, Haugh unit, and albumen height, were not significantly influenced by dietary treatments (p > 0.05). However, yolk color showed a significant quadratic effect (p < 0.05), with lower values in hens fed 900 μm compared to 600 and 1200 μm diets, while eggshell color showed a tendency for a linear response (p < 0.10). These findings suggest that increasing corn particle size from 600 to 1200 μm maintains production performance and egg quality with minor phase-specific effects, indicating that the inclusion of 1200 μm corn may be a practical strategy for laying hens.